


Where Do We Go From Here?

by strangeradventures



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Angst, Don’t Worry It Gets Gayer, I Tried To Make Humour But I Can’t, I Wrote This To Stop Myself From Yeeting Myself Out Of A Window, If You Want Sladiver Humour Follow The Incorrect Sladiver Blog On Tumblr, It Was The Mirakuru & Everyone Involved Has Stuff To Answer For, Joe Dealing With Sladiver, Joe Wilson Is NOT A Villain, M/M, Major Character Injury, Oliver Can Be Awkward, Rewriting Canon, Saving Joe, Sexual Tension & Pining, Slade & Oliver Are A Mess, Slade & Oliver Were Lovers On The Island, Slade Gets The Apologies He Deserves, Slade Wilson Is NOT A Villain, Slade Wilson Loves Swords, Sladiver Feat Joe, The Author Will Regret Writing This At Some Point, They’re Hilarious, This Fanfic Is A Certifiable Mess, This is the dumbest thing, Tries To Insert Wilson Comic Book History, sladiver - Freeform, what even is canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:42:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24987739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangeradventures/pseuds/strangeradventures
Summary: Rewrite Of Deathstroke Returns & Promises Kept: Oliver & Slade Try To Deal With The Past Whilst Teaming Up To Save Joe.
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Slade Wilson
Comments: 35
Kudos: 57





	1. Until We Go Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver & Slade reunite.

I don’t own anything. This is so, so stupid.

Maybe he should’ve told someone that Slade had called him, Oliver muses to himself as he’s pacing up and down his apartment like a madman.

He’d just gotten back from dropping William off at school and whilst that had distracted him and he had shared a rather pleasant morning with his son, he just couldn’t keep Slade’s impending visit far from his mind.

Despite being rather confident that he hadn’t come across as anything other than a somewhat decent dad, Oliver really hopes that William couldn’t tell how anxious he was.

Slade returning to Star City is a big deal, something which Oliver knows he’ll have to handle as discreetly as he can, which is why he didn’t tell anyone that Slade had called him.

Felicity and Diggle wouldn’t have taken the news well, Lance would probably show up with the entirety of the SCPD, the FBI, a SWAT team, ARGUS and the army if he knew and Oliver doesn’t even really know if Dinah, Curtis or Rene were anywhere near the Siege or what they actually think about Slade. 

He knows that they don’t exactly hold him in high regards as they’d each questioned why on Earth Oliver let the man who’d abandoned them on Lian Yu, walk free.

Yes, that had been an issue, but Oliver had addressed it with Slade and once he’d heard the other man’s explanation, he realised that he couldn’t actually blame him for feeling that way.

In fact, it only made him blame himself. 

It is on him at the end of the day, for keeping quiet about what happened on the island.

He should’ve told his Team more about the Slade he knew before he nearly destroyed him with Mirakuru to save his life.

He thinks he might have tried to tell them during Slade’s Mirakuru fuelled return, but there was so much going on that he knows he didn’t explain it properly to them and he remembers not wanting to.

He hadn’t wanted to open up about what Slade had meant to him before Oliver made one of the worst mistakes of his life.

Sure, he’s pretty sure that Felicity and Diggle have filled in some of the gaps over the years about what Slade means to him, but Oliver knows that they probably wouldn’t hate him as much as they do if they just understood that everything that happened to Slade was because of an impossible drug and, quite bluntly, Oliver’s own stupidity.

Oliver had wanted them all to talk before Slade left Star City when they returned from Lian Yu, but he just didn’t know how to bring them all together.

He wondered if he should’ve cooked a meal and invited everyone over, but he hadn’t wanted to overwhelm William and he doesn’t know if his apartment would’ve survived that.

Which is why, he’d reluctantly let Slade leave again, because he knew that the man needed to find his son and because deep down, he knew that Slade being in Star City came with many unwanted challenges that Oliver didn’t think he’d be able to handle all in one go, especially with the situation with William.

There’s also the fact that if somehow, someone caught wind of the Mayor interacting with a known international criminal, there would be consequences and again, Oliver is pretty much convinced that every law enforcement agency out there would be on his doorstep if Slade had stuck around.

However, Oliver would be lying if he said that he hadn’t wished that Slade had been able to stick around.

Seeing Slade free from the Mirakuru’s influence had nearly crippled Oliver with guilt.

For a second, that year in which Slade returned, terrorised him and his friends and family and had murdered his mother which had nearly sent Oliver over the edge, didn’t exist.

It was as if Oliver was back on the Amazo, standing over the Mirakuru-riddled Slade with an arrow in one hand and the cure in the other.

All he could think about was how he’d chosen to stab Slade though the eye instead of cure him.

He chose to kill him because he allowed himself to believe that he really was gone.

He believed the Mirakuru.

Then he remembered how he had reacted to Roy and how Roy had returned to his normal self mere days after being cured.

How, if given time, Slade would’ve returned to the man he once was and he had, he had gone back to that man and when Oliver had realised that when he’d started speaking to the man in his cell on Lian Yu, the guilt that had struck Oliver was deafening.

He just wishes he could talk to Slade about that, how he feels about the matter and all the things he wants to say and do in an attempt to somehow apologise for choosing to kill Slade, for choosing not to trust the man he’d spent nearly two years with, but they both avoided it like the plague.

They’d even avoided the topic of what it means for them now, which Oliver is pretty sure Slade won’t want to address at all.

Even Oliver hadn’t been brave enough to broach the subject matter, because even though there is a lot of ways and hundreds and hundreds of reasons and technicality’s behind why it would not work, Oliver’s mind still escapes to the times before Ivo and the Mirakuru.

The days on the island when it was just him and Slade.

When things were somehow less complicated and Slade was not just an ally or even a friend exactly.

The memories of those times are swarming around Oliver’s mind even when there is a sharp knock at the door that almost feels like it’s threatening to break it down. 

Glancing at the clock on the wall, Oliver realises that it is time.

Slade was always incredibly punctual on the island and it appears that hasn’t changed as he is here, exactly at the time he said he would be.

It doesn’t surprise Oliver one bit. If Slade said he’d be gone for six hours, he’d return to the fuselage six hours later on the dot.

“Kid, I can hear your pacing around in there, open the door.” The familiar deep voice sounds out from behind the door, sounding just that little bit threatening just like Oliver has expected.

Taking a deep breath, Oliver clasps his hands together before heading towards the door.

It’s just Slade. 

If he can do half the things he’s done with Slade in the past, then he can most certainly open the door for him.

Slade looks mildly annoyed, Oliver realises when he’s opened the door and that’s when he smiles.

Mildly annoyed is Slade’s speciality. 

It was on the island anyway and apart from the eyepatch and the clean, modern clothes they both wear, it’s as if it were ten years ago again for Oliver.

He’s standing in front of Slade and Slade is looking at him if he’s wondering what the best course of action should be.

Almost as if he were contemplating what to do about Oliver himself, which is something Oliver was pretty certain Slade used to think about on the island.

“Hi.” Oliver starts simply, trying to lean against the door and immediately failing as he trips up on his own feet in the process.

Slade gives him a look, that Oliver has never been able to decipher.

It’s almost as if he’s either amused or wondering how either he or nature hasn’t killed Oliver yet.

“It’s good to see you, kid.” Slade chuckles lightly.

“May I come in?”

Oliver pauses for a second, almost transfixed by the sight of Slade standing in his doorway in a very flattering leather jacket and with a smirk on his face.

“Yeah, sure, yes. Please come in.” Oliver thinks that he’s managed to play it cool as he heads back into his apartment, followed closely by Slade.

Turning around to face him again, Oliver isn’t sure what to do.

Slade may be a lot more like the man Oliver used to know, but the man he knew still would’ve stabbed him if he’d ever attempted to randomly hug him and whilst Slade doesn’t appear to have a sword on him right now, Oliver is convinced that Slade has at least ten weapons on his person right now.

“Can I get you anything?” Is what he ends up saying in the end.

“No thanks, kid.” Slade replies and for a moment they just stare at each other.

Almost as if neither of them are sure what to do or how to react to the presence of the other.

Or if they should close the gap between them or not.

“So, Joe?” Oliver starts after a decidedly uncomfortable amount of silence has descended between them. 

“He doesn’t...” Slade isn’t even able to make a start on discussing the situation before Oliver’s phone starts to buzz in a rather intrusive manner.

“Do you need to take that?” Slade enquires as Oliver glances down at his phone.

“I think so, it could be important.” Oliver admits in an apologetic tone.

“I’ll get someone else to deal with whatever it is, I’m here for you, okay?” Oliver finds himself trying to reassure his, well he’s not really sure what Slade is to him now.

He’s not his enemy, not by a long shot, but he’s not exactly sure if he could say that they’re friends either, especially with their extensive history.

Slade makes a gruff noise of approval, before heading to sit in the somewhat reclining chair by the large windows.

With his phone in his hand, it takes Oliver a couple of moments to realise that it’s still buzzing, due to having been momentarily distracted by the sight of Slade sliding into the chair and resting his leg on another in such a way that disrupts Oliver’s train of thought for a few moments.

Distractions, he remembers Slade saying something about them on the island.

About how they could get him killed and how he couldn’t afford to have any there, but if there’s something Oliver always knew during the majority of his time on Lian Yu, it’s that Slade Wilson has always been a distraction for him.

In more ways than one.

“Sorry, that was work.” Oliver is quick to apologise when he’s finally able to put his phone down.

He doesn’t see the point in explaining what Rene was telling him to Slade, he’d probably get bored or agitated.

“Don’t apologise, I appreciate you doing this for me.” Slade replies.

“You think I wouldn’t?” Oliver raises his eyebrow at his once mentor.

“You helped me save William.”

“One good deed does not erase the past, kid.” Slade points out.

“No, it doesn’t. No matter what I do for you, it’ll never be enough to erase what I did, what we both did.” Oliver responds after a moment and the look Slade gives him is a pained one.

A look similar to some of the ones he had given him when he’d been pretty delirious and had half his face blown off whilst Oliver pretty much dragged him through the woods.

“Let me help you find Joe.” Oliver starts after a couple of moments have passed.

“He doesn’t go by that name anymore.” 

“He changed his name?” Oliver folds his arms and watches as Slade moves his fingers around in an almost anxious manner.

If he’d have been closer or braver, he probably would’ve attempted to reach for the older man’s hand, to ground him if he could.

Slade is pretty unreadable, he always has been, but Oliver thinks that he’s managed to work out Slade’s state when he’s in emotional pain.

“It was his mother’s idea.”

Oliver winces at the mention of Slade’s ex-wife, remembering how Slade hadn’t exactly had many nice things to say about the mother of his child on the island.

To be fair, Oliver is aware that he got himself into that uncomfortable situation, he was the one who’d asked Slade if he missed his wife at all.

He just hadn’t really expected there to be that much bad blood between the pair, but boy, was Oliver wrong and after a lengthy rant, an innocent tree getting decimated, Slade breaking a sword and Oliver getting abused in an extra lengthy training session, Oliver realised that he probably shouldn’t have asked about Slade’s ex-wife.

He definitely never asked again and the only times that Slade mentioned her again was when he was really in a bad mood.

“He goes by Kane now.” Slade continues, bringing Oliver back to the present.

“What happened to him? Did he stay with...” Oliver doesn’t really know how to bring up Slade’s ex-wife without pissing the older man off.

“No, apparently not. As it turns out, they haven’t had any contact for years.” Slade informs him.

“I tracked him down to Calgary, but by then he’d gone. He did something around the time of the... The Siege.” Slade pauses for a moment and for a brief second, Oliver thinks that he’s anxious.

“Something that he’s been under investigation for, but never formally accused of doing as there’s no actual evidence that he’s done this thing.” 

“What did he... What is he being accused of doing?” Oliver chooses his words carefully.

“I don’t know, kid, I can’t find any trace of the crime he’s been accused of doing, it’s all incredibly top secret, which doesn’t surprise me, but I do know that he’s gotten himself into trouble and that he hasn’t even approached his mother, which does somewhat surprises me.” Slade admits.

“Did they get on well?” 

“Yes, yes they did, when Joe was older, he’d try to keep the peace between Adelaide and I. I’m not saying that it worked.” Slade let’s out a light laugh.

“But, he’d give it his best shot and she’d listen to him, there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for her son.”

Oliver takes a few tentative steps towards Slade, but pauses when the man rises to his feet and turns away from him.

“Unfortunately, Joe decided to follow in my footsteps. Whilst we were stuck on Lian Yu, Joe went and joined the Australian Intelligence Service, but things went south for him after this investigation and he’s ended up in Kasnia.” Slade explains.

“For some reason, which has to be related to whatever it is he’s involved with, he was dealing in arms and some locals caught him. Supposedly, he didn’t have a fair trial and now he’s... Serving a life sentence.” Slade mutters, a pained look in his eye.

“Like a rat in a cage.” 

Wincing at the man’s words, Oliver tries to approach his friend again, finding himself stopping when Slade turns around to face him.

The two of them standing so close to one another that they’re nearly touching.

“What do you need?” Oliver continues in the same soft tone he was using before.

“Well, I need you to help me find my son. I'm not asking you to come back in, I understand the situation you are in and that it’s not you in the mask these days.”

“How did you...” 

Slade ignores him.

“I don’t need that part of you, kid. Strangely enough, what I need is diplomacy, which means I don't want Green Arrow.” Slade sighs somewhat.

“I need Oliver Queen.”

“For what?” Oliver finds himself asking, more awkwardly then he would’ve liked

“Can I ask you just to trust me on this one, kid?” Slade glances up at him and Oliver is lost for words.

A part of him wants to tell Slade, of course because he knows, theoretically that he can trust this Slade, because this is the Slade he knew before the Mirakuru. 

However, the memories of the darker times as not so easily forgotten, despite how much Oliver really wishes that they were.

I've organized transport to Kasnia, I commandeered a plane.”

“You commandeered a... I’m not even going to ask.” Oliver holds both of his hands up and Slade smirks at him.

“Wheels up at 2200.” Slade brushes past him then and Oliver realises that he’s heading for the door.

“I'll understand if you don't want to join me, but if you do, I'll meet you out front  
at 2100, ok, kid?” Slade gives Oliver, what he believes to be a hopeful look.

“Of course I’m going to be there, Slade. I told you that I’d help you and that’s what I’m going to do, also...” Oliver finds himself heading after Slade.

“I wasn’t sure how long this was going to take, so I took the day off. We could uh... You don’t have to go, unless you’re busy of course. I could show you...” Oliver takes a breath and closes his eyes.

He’s babbling worse than Felicity!

“Do you want to come and see the lair? We could go there and see if we could use the computers to try and find out what Joe got accused of?” Oliver suggests as he’s in no rush to let Slade roam free in Star City or leave.

Yes, showing Slade the lair might not be a good idea, but Oliver doesn’t actually see what could go that wrong.

It’s the memories of the Mirakuru that are holding him back, he needs to remember that this is the real Slade, his Slade.

His Slade, who’d probably love to see a well put together lair and who Oliver really wants to show off to after all the relentless teasing on the island in the first years.

“You’d let me into your lair? I don’t think your friends would approve.” Slade points out.

“They’re doing their day jobs so they won’t be there.” Oliver states, even though he’s a little bit concerned about the legitimacy of that statement, especially after what Rene had reported.

Yet, due to the fact that the FBI is seemingly more than likely watching their every move, Oliver doubts that they’ll have just abandoned their jobs to meet about the issue in the lair.

“Besides, things have... Changed.”

“Not that much, kid.” Slade mutters, evidently referring to both the year of the Siege and the Lian Yu incident. 

“If we had to, we could all sit down and discuss it.” Oliver sighs and Slade makes a disgruntled sound.

“Did you even tell them that you and I were meeting today?” Slade enquires to immediate silence from Oliver.

“Oliver.” Slade growls and when Slade elects to growl and call him ‘Oliver’, Oliver knows that he’s treading on shaky ground.

“Not exactly...” 

Slade scoffs and turns to the door.

“I didn’t see why I needed to, I know that they have their own perfectly reasonable views on matters and that I never... That I never exactly told them everything about you and what you mean to me and the man you were before the Mirakuru, the man I’m pretty sure you are now. I just didn’t know how.” Oliver finds himself admitting to an unreadable look from Slade.

“I need to talk to them about it at some point. I always said that I would, but there’s never the time and I just...”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me. I’m well aware of what I did and how it affected your team. Your reluctance is understandable.” Slade murmurs in a gruff manner as he reaches for the door handle.

“Hey, come on, come with me. I’ve got... I’ve got some swords down there that you might be interested in seeing?” Oliver continues to try and convince Slade to join him for the day, but the main only raises an eyebrow at him. 

“No.”

“Slade...”

“I won’t come with you, but I’ll meet you there. You are the mayor of the city. With everything you’ve got going on, the last thing you need is for someone to catch the two of us walking through the streets together.” Slade opens the door.

“But, you don’t know where the lair is. It’s not in Verdant anymore.” Oliver frowns at Slade’s answer.

“I know.” Slade smirks before disappearing through the door, leaving a somewhat bewildered Oliver behind.

For a few moments, Oliver just stands there and attempts to make sense of Slade’s answer.

How could Slade possibly know where the new lair is and how to get to it?

He’s been out of Lian Yu for only five months, how could he even?

“What?” Oliver shakes his head once before following Slade through the door, only to find that the man is nowhere to be seen.

Oliver doesn’t know if he should be surprised or not when he reaches the lair to find that Slade is not waiting for him inside.

For a brief moment back then, he thought that he’d end up walking into the lair and find Slade waiting in a chair or something with that annoyingly smug look on his face that he’s always had when he’s managed to prove something to Oliver.

He’d even quietly called out for Slade when he’d entered the unlit lair, half expecting the man to jump out at him or down from the ceiling or something Slade like.

However, the lair had been empty and Oliver was somewhat relieved.

Glad that Slade hadn’t managed to break in because that could open an uncomfortable can or worms and that the rest of the team weren’t there either, just incase Slade does show up as that could quite easily turn problematic.

Which is why, to distract himself from his rather frazzled mind, Oliver turns to the Salmon Ladder for comfort.

Everything is so different now.

Slade is different, he’s the man Oliver wished he’d left the island with all those years ago.

It’s how it should be.

However, it doesn’t erase what happened.

What they both ended up doing to each other, the version of Slade that unfortunately, everyone else knows.

It’s still there and it’s not going to go away, even if Slade has changed because Oliver knows that he never actually explained it to his friends and family as he knew it would hurt to much.

Yes, he’s got a chance to rectify it now, but Oliver still doesn’t know how he’ll be able to talk about it because he couldn’t even find it within himself to talk about it with Slade.

The past is still a raw wound and Oliver isn’t sure if Slade even wants to approach that subject.

Or take advantage of the second chance that has been presented to them both. 

“Hey, kid. That took longer than I expected.”

Oliver nearly falls off of the Salmon Ladder at the sight of Slade entering the lair in a rather casual manner, peering down at his alarmingly blood covered knuckles.

“I have so many questions that I’m not sure I want answered.” Oliver admits, inching up the ladder.

“Did you get into a fight?”

“My journey here wasn’t without inconvenience.” Slade grumbles.

“Slade, it’s been less than half an hour since we were both at my place.” Oliver starts, but let’s the matter drop with a slight roll of his eyes, watching as Slade wanders around the lair.

“So, what do you think?”

“It’s a nice set up you’ve got here, kid. Think I preferred the other one in the basement, more rustic.” Slade comments, eying the display of suits.

“Well, both were better than the fuselage.” Oliver smirks.

“Hey, don’t knock the fuselage, kid.” Slade warns watching Oliver drop down from the Salmon Ladder.

“Not too bad for someone who could barely do four pull ups.” Oliver approaches  
Slade slowly, the two meeting in the middle.

“I think I could still give you some tips on how to improve.”

“How to improve?” Oliver raises an eyebrow at the shorter man.

“How could I improve that?”

“Hmm.” Slade murmurs and Oliver glances down at him, very nearly brushing up against the man.

“Slade...” Oliver starts in a softer tone, wondering if he should take the opportunity he has right now to talk things through with the man. 

Or at the very least, try to explain his thoughts and feelings through action if not conversation.

They were never very good at talking to each other.

Even when they were closer than ever on the island.

Slade stares at him for a moment, but appears to ignore him.

“I’ll show you.” Slade steps away then, causing Oliver to lean forward a little, closing his eyes for a brief second before turning to watch Slade drape his leather jacket over a rail as he heads for the Salmon Ladder.

“I’m gonna... Uh, get the computers warmed up, you know, to see if I can find anything else on Joe.” Oliver finds himself a little lost for words as Slade makes his way up the ladder with ease and expertise.

Almost transfixed by the sight.

“Doubt you’ll find anything I haven’t, but thanks for trying, kid.” Slade murmurs.

“We’ll see.” Oliver replies as he sits down in Felicity’s chair, his eyes not really leaving Slade and he finds himself laughing.

“Something funny?”

“No, not really, well kind of. I was just thinking about that day on the island, you know, when you were working out and I was trying to get that damn radio to work.” Oliver smiles a little at the memory.

“Ah, yes. I remember those days kid, especially when you barely said anything after I came back after being stuck up a tree for six hours for trying to feed us.” Slade reminds him.

“Oh yeah.” Oliver chuckles some more as he turns his focus to the screen.

Joe isn’t really what Oliver expected him to look like.

He thought he’d be younger for some reason.

Entering research mode, Oliver almost misses the sound of the elevator completely, but a worried expression immediately appears on his face when he does here it.

“Slade...” Oliver starts.

“Company?” Slade guesses.

“Yeah, could...” Oliver’s eyes widen when Slade drops from the ladder with ease.

“They won’t see me.” Slade replies curtly as he reaches forward to grab his jacket so that the others don’t notice when they arrive.

“Oliver!” Felicity’s voice cuts through the air the second the doors open.

“Hey.” Oliver responds, getting out of the chair.

“What were you doing?” The blonde frowns at him.

“Ah, just some research.” Oliver gestures to the computer screen, which still holds some information on Joe.

“Someone for us to deal with? I take it he’s a criminal, all the handsome ones are.” Felicity remarks upon seeing the image of Joe.

“No, he’s not a criminal, but he is involved in something. Something that we need to talk about.”

“Okay...”

“But, not right now, I’ve got to uh, get William from school.” Oliver gives his friend a smile on the way to the elevator.

“School? I thought he didn’t finish for another three hours?” Felicity frowns.

“Yes, but i have a routine. I grab coffee before I pick him up and that normally takes a few... Hours.” Oliver steps into the elevator.

“Okay, I’ll...”

“I’ll call you, Felicity. I do need your help with something, but right now, I just...” Oliver frowns when he finds that the elevator doors are shutting and almost jumps into fight mode when he sees Slade standing next to him.

How did he manage to...

“Oliver?” Felicity calls to him.

“See you!” Is all Oliver can say before the elevator doors close.

“Well that didn’t look at all suspicious!” Oliver turns on Slade in an instant.

“And ‘it takes me three hours to get coffee’ didn’t?” Slade gives him a look.

“I panicked!”

“I saw that, thank you for the entertainment.” Slade smirks and Oliver wants to knock him out.

“So....” Oliver starts.

“Yes, kid?”

“Do you want to get coffee?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so, so bad & I am so so sorry that I wrote this. Please forgive me, I just have a lot of feelings about Slade’s story in Arrow & these two episodes, which at the time I adored because I was just so happy to see Slade, but as a comic book fan, I really hated to see Joe like that. The actor was great, honestly, he was wonderful, but his character just didn’t feel like Joe to me, so I wanted to see if I could do this fanfic to make him not so unnecessarily evil. Thank you all for reading it, please don’t crucify me for this & comment if you can!


	2. Nowhere To Run From All Of This Havoc

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver prepares to go on his mission with Slade.

This is so stupid & I’m so sorry for writing this. I don’t own anything.

To Oliver’s surprise, Slade agreed to get coffee with him.

Oliver chooses the most remote coffee shop in all of Star City to greatly minimise the chance of Slade being noticed or someone noticing them together.

“Where did you put the plane?” Oliver finds himself asking when he’s not sure what to say.

“Don’t worry about that, kid.” Slade states in a manner that suggests he’s done something he shouldn’t have done.

Then again, Oliver’s alarm bells had already gone off at ‘commandeered a plane’.

“I have to pick William up in a couple of hours, try not to do anything I’ll have to clean up whilst I’m gone.” Oliver requests and Slade just snorts.

“I’m being serious, you already got into a fight.” 

“It’s Starling City, people pick fights.”

“Star City. It’s Star City now.” Oliver reminds him.

“Forgot that the name was changed. I wasn’t exactly in the neighbourhood when it was.” Slade smirks wryly as he looks into his coffee cup.

“Looks better than I remembered.”

“Yeah, it’s changed quite a bit since you were here.” Oliver smiles somewhat, before placing his hands on the table, determined to not be a coward.

“How much do you...”

“Remember?” Slade has guessed where Oliver was going the second he started talking.

“All of it. Every second and every moment of what I did, but it’s. It’s like I’m seeing it through someone else’s eyes. Like it was a bad dream.” Slade essentially repeats the conversation they’d shared when Oliver had realised that the Slade he’d come to on Lian Yu was the real Slade again.

“You’ll never know how sorry I am, kid. I know that doesn’t mean much after what I did and that you will never be able to forgive me for what I did to your mother...” Slade sighs, a harrowed look in his immense brown eye.

“I know, I know you’re sorry and I also know that the Mirakuru...”

“I shouldn’t have let it take control of me, kid. I should’ve trusted you.” Slade mutters.

“And I should’ve trusted you.” Oliver retorts.

“Oliver...”

“Slade, I never should’ve listened to Sara. I just, I was young and stupid and I thought that just because she’d been with Ivo and his men that she knew all about the Mirakuru and how it was affecting you and it was just easier to listen to her than to face up to what happened.” Oliver admits.

Slade doesn’t say anything, his hand clenched into a fist.

“I shouldn’t have listened to Sara when she told me not to tell you the truth. She didn’t know you Slade, she didn’t know who you were, she’d known you for all of a couple of days and I’d been with you on that island for two years. We should’ve talked about what happened.” Oliver sighs.

“I probably would’ve killed you, kid.” Slade murmurs after a moment.

“I don’t think you would’ve. I think things would’ve been different.” Oliver admits.

“I think things would’ve been a lot different if I’d just listened to you instead of running into the flames...”

“There’s no point in dragging up the past kid, it happened and that’s that. I put you through unimaginable pain and for that, I... You should’ve killed me.” Slade sighs.

“Slade, I. I could never...” Oliver pauses, staring at the older man for a few moments.

“Do you really think that I...”

“You do what you have to do, kid. Like you’ve always done. Like I taught you.” Slade’s lips twitch up into a somewhat smile.

“Yes.” Oliver finds himself agreeing.

“But that doesn’t stop me from feeling guilty about what happened.”

“You shouldn’t feel guilty.” 

Oliver sighs, wishing that he could tell Slade the truth, about how he really feels.

“I’m just grateful that you’re here and that you have agreed to help me find my son.” 

“Of course. It’s the least I could do after you spent...” Oliver pauses after a moment.

“Slade, they didn’t... Did they...”

“Spit it out, kid. I haven’t got all day.” 

“ARGUS.” Oliver states finally.

“You were on Lian Yu for four years. I’ll admit, I never thought that you’d ever be you again so I never looked into it and for that I’m sorry, but. They didn’t hurt you, did they?” Oliver finds himself asking.

“No, of course not. Think I would’ve let them?” Slade gives Oliver a look.

“No, but...”

“Kid, they just left me alone. Yeah, there was a guard outside my cell for a few weeks after that unfortunate incident with you and your sister, but other then that, nothing. I was alone with my thoughts.” Slade tells Oliver plainly, but there’s something about the way Slade tells him this that causes Oliver to feel doubtful that what Slade is telling him is the truth.

“Before the Mirakuru started to fade, they would drug me.”

“What?!” Oliver’s eyes fill with worry.

“Slade...”

“They had to, the Mirakuru was still lingering in my system. Sure, I was in an impenetrable cell, but I could be harsh shall we say? I think they were getting sick of me threatening to kill them all to be honest.” Slade chuckles.

“They still shouldn’t have been drugging you if you weren’t actually attacking them.” Oliver points out.

“I did, kid. I did attack, I attacked you and your sister. If they hadn’t have done what they did, I probably would’ve...” A dark look crosses Slade’s face.

“Wait, are you telling me that you were drugged when Thea and I came to the island?” 

“Yes. Oh come on kid, you saw me take on a whole room of actual members of the League Of Assassins and win.” Slade reminds him.

“Yes.” Oliver nods, sipping his coffee as he remembers how Slade had torn into Talia’s men only hours after he’d been freed from a cell he’d been in for four years.

“Thea was nineteen and had a couple of months training from Malcolm Merlyn and I taught you how to fight. I should’ve easily killed the both of you and I would’ve if ARGUS had not already intervened.” Slade mutters.

“Well, that does make sense.” Oliver remarks, tilting his head to the side a little when Slade sighs.

“I am sorry, Oliver.”

“Honestly, Slade. I’m not... That wasn’t you, not the man you were before the Mirakuru and not the man you are now.” 

“Hmm.” Slade doesn’t look at him and it’s only then that Oliver realises that his fingers are wrapped around Slade’s wrist.

The action surprises him, he can’t even remember when he did that.

Then again, that’s what they were like on the island.

“What will it take for you to listen to me? To believe that you... That what happened wasn’t all because of you.” Oliver speaks softly to the man, smiling a little when Slade’s fingers twist to squeeze his briefly.

“I should be going.” Slade moves his wrist out of Oliver’s reach.

“2100, remember?” Slade pauses by his side.

“Yeah, I’ll see you then.” Oliver nods and practically beams when Slade squeezes his shoulder in passing.

“Thanks, kid.”

Felicity is just as angry as Oliver had expected her to be when he finally tells her about Slade’s visit and his plans.

After picking William up and making him dinner, Oliver had left his son in front of the tv. 

He’d talked to him about the fact that he would be leaving for a few days and that Rasia would take good care of him.

William had seemed concerned, but Oliver had done his best to tell his son to be too worried, even though he’s a little bit anxious about the trip himself.

He’d sat with William for a little bit, played a couple of games with him and just allowed himself to spend a couple of hours with his son before he’d made the call.

Which is why, he is now stood in his bedroom with Felicity and they’re arguing.

Quietly enough so they don’t disturb William, but Felicity is not holding back on how she feels about the situation at all.

“This is a bad idea. What made you think it was a good idea to bring him to the lair? Our lair!” Felicity hisses at him.

“It’s fine, it’s different now. He’s...”

“Oliver, Slade Wilson killed your mother, he nearly destroyed the city, he nearly killed us multiple times and he abandoned us on Lian Yu. I know, I get that you two have a complicated past and that we don’t understand it because you won’t talk about it, but you can’t trust him, Oliver.” Felicity points out.

“I can trust him. You only know the man he was forced to become because of the Mirakuru, the man he is now, is... Look, I’ll tell you. You and Diggle, the team, we’ll talk about this when I get back, I’ll explain what happened to us on Lian Yu, some of it anyway so you can understand why I’m doing this.” Oliver tries to remain as calm as possible.

“He wasn’t on the Mirakuru when he left us to die on Lian Yu.” Felicity points out.

“Do you want to know why he did that?” Oliver starts the second she mentions it.

“Slade doesn’t exactly, he’s always been difficult and he gets a bit...” Oliver tries to explain the situation by making rather awkward gestures with his hands.

“When we were on the island, you turned to him and said that you didn’t need his help, that none of you did and he took that literally. He was trying to help us and you guys weren’t exactly... Welcoming.” Oliver attempts to explain the reasoning Slade gave him.

“And you were totally within your rights to be wary after everything he did, but it is really important to remember that it was the Mirakuru back then.”

“Oliver.” Felicity presses her hands together.

“I don’t know what happened between you and Slade on the island but I don’t think...”

“Think what Felicity? Actually, tell me what you think about Roy, remember what happened to him? He had the Mirakuru back then and he killed someone, do you think that he shouldn’t have been cured and forgiven.” Oliver cuts in.

“That’s a totally different situation, Oliver! Roy was our friend, he didn’t want to kill us personally. He was never...”

“Never what? Never a villain?”

“Sara told me what Slade was like on the island.” Felicity retorts.

“Slade was not a villain back on Lian Yu, when Sara met him he was dying because of me, because of something I did and when he was healed it was because of the Mirakuru and that was the man she got to know, not the person I knew. I made the mistake of listening to Sara...”

“Woah, woah, woah. One afternoon with Slade and now you’re saying that Sara was in the wrong?” Felicity folds her arms.

“Nothing that we did on Lian Yu was right, Felicity! We shouldn’t have even been there and we did what we had to, to survive and yes, I did make the mistake of listening to Sara because she was the one who told me not to tell Slade the truth and I didn’t. I didn’t because I was a coward and thought that she was right at the time, but she wasn’t. She didn’t know Slade like I did.” Oliver pauses for a moment.

“Oliver, I trust you, you know I trust you, but how can you expect us to trust the man that nearly destroyed you, us and this city. How can you expect us to be okay...”

“I’m not. Felicity, I’m not asking you or the others to trust or be alright with Slade, all I’m asking is that you trust me and just try to listen to me when it comes to Slade. If this mission goes well, things could be different, he could be an ally.”

“I doubt that.” Felicity snorts in disbelief.

“Just, try to keep an open mind, for me.” Oliver pleads with the blonde genius, who glares at him for several moments before groaning.

“As I said, you know I trust you, but don’t think that the others are going to be anywhere near to being okay with this and if this goes badly, if he turns out to be the man we all think he is.”

“It won’t come to that.” Oliver sighs.

“How do you know?”

“Because I know Slade Wilson.”

“Right, which is why you’re going off on this romantic getaway with him?” Felicity raises an eyebrow at him, especially when he chuckles at her remark.

“What?”

“Nothing, just a memory.” Oliver smiles briefly for a moment, before nodding.

“I will be going to Kasnia for an indefinite amount of time to try and help Slade rescue Joe.”

“The guy that goes by Kane Wolfman now, right?” Felicity guesses.

“How did you...”

“You left his information on my computer before you left. I did some research. I knew who he was before you called me, I figured that you had gotten yourself in a mess with Slade.” Felicity reports.

“Did you find anything? Slade told me that he’d gotten involved in something, something that’s really been kept under wraps.” Oliver enquires, hoping that Felicity has found something useful that he and Slade can use.

“I saw that, it took me awhile to find traces of this crime he’s apparently been accused of. It’s almost like someone really doesn’t want someone, aka Deathstroke finding out what crimes his son’s committed.” Felicity tells him.

“Makes sense.” Oliver mutters.

“Someone really wanted it under wraps if I could barely find a trace of anything, but from what I could piece together it seems like the apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree.”

“Felicity.” Oliver sighs.

“I’m not wrong. Alright, so Joe Wilson was accused of kidnapping these two kids that I can’t identify yet. The authorities were convinced that he did it, but there was not enough evidence to pin him to the crime.” Felicity explains her finding.

“Thank you, we didn’t know that.” Oliver nods, before biting his lip a little, his thoughts turning as he tries to make sense of the revelation.

It doesn’t help that he doesn’t really know  
Joe at all.

He doesn’t know what kind of a man Slade’s son is.

Yet, he’ll be sure to tell Slade what Felicity’s found out the second he sees him.

If this is going to work, he knows that he’s got to be completely honest with the older man.

“He wants you to suit up again, doesn’t he.” Felicity’s remark brings him out of his thoughts.

“Actually, Slade says that he has a diplomatic solution that requires my name and not me in a mask.” 

“Do you really have to go? Are you really just going to not think about this logically and go with him? Because I can list a whole lot of reasons why you shouldn’t go.” Felicity retorts.

“Felicity, if I don’t go then I’m breaking my promise to him and if I’m not there he'll take a more aggressive approach.” Oliver replies.

“I can’t say that I’m not worried about this, because I am. I got out of the life and I made a promise to my son that I would not go back to being the Green Arrow, but I won’t abandon Slade, not again.” Oliver shakes his head once, not even looking at Felicity anymore.

“Well I suppose it’s not like you're going back to your old life and yeah Slade Wilson is not my favorite person and I’m pretty sure his son’s gonna turn out to be a criminal too, but no one wants Slade tearing up the city again.”

“He wouldn’t do that, you don’t... You don’t understand. Look, I am going to go with Slade to Kasnia, yeah I’m nervous because If--when it veers from diplomacy   
and I have to break my promise to William,   
I will beat myself up over that...”

“Don't tell William what you're doing.” Felicity cuts in.

“What?”

“Look, spare him the details of, you know, Slade being... Slade and tell him that you're helping a friend. He'll understand that.” Felicity suggests.

“No.” Oliver shakes his head.

“What do you mean, no? You‘re not actually thinking of telling William the truth are you?“ Felicity looks horrified by the very thought.

“I’m not lying to him either. Keeping secrets gets you nowhere, I learnt that the hard way when I lost someone I...” Oliver pauses, closing his eyes for a brief moment before sighing.

“Okay, I’m going to talk to William and Felicity.”

“Yeah?” The blonde frowns at him.

“I want you to join us.”

“Why, shouldn’t this be a you and William thing?”

“I want you to understand why I’m doing this.” Oliver admits.

“I want you I hear the truth too.”

“So, you know how I mentioned earlier that I gotta go away for a few days?” Oliver starts when he’s sitting in front of his son.

Glancing briefly at Felicity sat on the other couch in the room.

William had been happy to put away his homework to talk to his father.

Apparently, he was having a small break anyway because he’d noticed a rock being thrown at the window.

Both Oliver and Felicity had been a little puzzled by that until William had shown him the slightly cracked glass of the window, which Felicity and William 

“Do you have to, you know...” William makes a face and Oliver shakes his head.

“No, I hope not anyway. I really, really hope not, but I won’t lie to you Will, things could get messy.”

“Messy? How messy?”

“I’m going with a friend to help him save his son. They’ve been apart for a long time and recently his son has gotten into a bit of trouble and we’re going to get him out of it.” Oliver admits.

“You and your friend? Do I know this friend?” William enquires.

“Yeah, yeah, you might not remember him, but he was on the island with us, his name is Slade.” Oliver tells him, not surprised at all when Felicity starts to roll her eyes when he mentions Slade.

“Isn’t he bad? I heard...” William’s eyes fill with worry and Felicity gives him a sympathetic smile.

“I figured you might have heard some things about Slade, but whatever you’ve heard, it’s not the full story and I wanted to tell you what I can so you know the truth.” Oliver places a hand against his son’s arm briefly.

“I wouldn’t just leave without telling you the truth, I can tell that you don’t want me to go and honestly? I wish I didn’t have to leave either, but I have a complicated relationship with Slade and I can’t let him go through this alone. We...” Oliver takes a breath.

“When I was stranded on the island the first time, when I was gone for five years, Slade Wilson was one of the first people I met on there. He was part of a secret intelligence force and he’d gotten stranded on the island when a mission had gone wrong. There were these really awful men on the island and Slade kept me safe from them, we kept each other safe from these people and Slade... Well, he was going through a rough time, he’d already been on the island for quite a while and the one person he thought he could trust betrayed him, this person was the godfather to his son and he just turned his back on him. Slade was a very closed off person back then and we argued a lot.” Oliver finds himself saying because he doesn’t think ‘I got abused in the name of training by Slade because of his issues’ would sound like music to William’s ears.

“Yet what happened to us that drove us apart at the time happened because of something I did, because I did something stupid. You see, we’d gotten closer, we found another survivor on the island and everything was somewhat alright, we spent nearly two years together before the really bad stuff happened and despite everything that had happened to Slade, he started to trust me and I trusted him and one day things changed.” Oliver keeps his eyes locked on William as he prepares to delve into the heavier stuff.

“We were close, we were very close and at one point no matter what got thrown at us or what we threw at each other, we stuck by each other, we stayed together, I think I managed to break through some of his walls.” Oliver admits with a wry smile.

“But something happened one day, these awful men came to the island and tried to kill us. They sent explosives after us and instead of trusting our friend to find shelter and to keep herself safe, I freaked out and ran into the flames. It was like a mine field, Will. I should’ve waited at the top of the cliff like Slade asked me to, but I thought I knew better. Slade was safe, he could’ve stayed up there, but he ran after me and he got hurt, he got hurt because I did something stupid and he thought he had to save me, he got hurt real bad. I mean we’d pretty much written him off when I got back to him, but apparently, somewhere on the island, there was this cure for literally everything. I had a chance to save him and because he’d literally run into the flames for me, I had to save him, it was a wrong I had right and I did it.” Oliver admits.

“I found this cure and I used it on him. It could’ve killed him and for a moment I thought it did.” Oliver stops as his mind is assaulted by an instant reminder of those hours.

Those godawful hours in which Oliver had thought that the Mirakuru had killed Slade.

Harrowing moments that will haunt him forever.

“Yet, somehow it saved him, but this cure, this drug, it came with some awful side effects. It could mess with the mind in a really powerful way and in the time that it took for him to find us, our friend had been killed by the men that had come to the island. We were all so close and our friend died in such a way that it... That I thought if he’d found out the truth that I’d lose him, that he’d never forgive me, but at the same time I still thought I should tell him the truth, because honesty is the best policy. Honestly, William, if you’re going to learn anything from this, let it be that.” Oliver stops to glance at William, who nods, intrigued by the story his father is telling him.

Even Felicity is silently listening to Oliver opening up about something she never thought he’d ever open up about.

“I listened to some bad advice from another friend at the time. I was young and I was scared but most of all I was afraid of losing Slade, so when my friend told me not to tell him about the bad thing, I didn’t. I lied to Slade and I shouldn’t have done that, I’d been on the island with him for nearly two years, my friend had only known him for a couple of days, most of which he wasn’t even conscious. I knew him, she didn’t and I just didn’t think of the consequences. I just thought it was best not to say anything because at the time it was clear that the drug was getting to him, that it was changing him, I mean I spent days searching for him after he left us in anger. I even managed to calm him down and again, I should’ve said something to him about what had happened, but I didn’t. I just told him that he didn’t have to go through what he was going through alone. I messed up.” Oliver states firmly.

“Of course, he found out about it and he found out about it from the worst person possible. Now, I won’t go into what exactly happened but what you need to know is that he found out the truth and that’s when everything went wrong. I shouldn’t have lied to him. His best friend had betrayed him, the person he trusted most when he got to the island and after spending two years with me, he’d started to let me in, but then I lied to him and after everything he’d gone through and with the drug in his system, that’s what sent him over the edge.” Oliver informs William and Felicity.

“I thought he was gone, lost to that awful drug. He wasn’t the man I knew anymore, but somehow on the island I got a chance to cure him of that drug, but when it came down to it, I made a mistake. I freaked out and I chose to do the worst possible thing I could’ve done.” Oliver tries to push away a the haunting memories as he talks to William, who reaches for his father’s hand.

“Dad, I’m. I’m sure you did what you had to do...”

“No I didn’t. I should’ve cured him there and then because that cure worked. I just didn’t know it then, I was young, impulsive and really stupid, but that drug came here, to Star City a few years ago and I’d changed, I was a different man myself. I was haunted by what had happened and when that drug infected someone else I cared about, I wanted to do everything I could to make sure that he didn’t end up like Slade. Except, I handled it badly. I didn’t tell my team what I’m telling you now, I was closed off. I didn’t want to talk about it because I knew that I had messed up and that I didn’t think that I could physically bring myself to talk about what I’ve been telling you, but I should’ve, because it would’ve helped with matters.” Oliver glances at Felicity briefly.

“The cure worked on the guy who’d been infected with that drug, he’d done awful things whilst under the drug but we cured him and we just, we just forgave him so easily and not once did I think, oh well if he could be cured and be alright in a couple of days then why couldn’t the same thing happen to Slade. It got out of hand, it was a problem and it had gone way too far by then, Slade did things that he can never forgive himself for because he wasn’t in control of what he was doing, the drug was still in his system and it was more powerful than ever. He was on the island with us six months ago because we cured him, well, Felicity did that actually.” Oliver gives her a quick nod.

“But nothing changed, it was like he was still under the effects of the drug and that’s because he was. It wasn’t because he was an awful person, it was because he’d spent so long with the drug in his system that it would take even longer for him to get rid of it. I saw him a year later and it was still as if he were under the drug and I thought, maybe, he really was that person he’d become, that he really was gone, but again, I was wrong. I went to him six months ago and it was like... It was like being with the man I’d known ten years ago, the real Slade. Everything that he’d done had been because of the drug, because of me. He was finally rid of it and because of that, he was fine, he was himself again.” Oliver tells them and squeezes William’s hand.

“I feel, so, so guilty for what happened to him. If I’d have been honest, yeah he might have lost control but I might have been able to help him regain it until we’d found the cure and I should’ve cured him straight away, I should’ve trusted the man I knew, the man he is again now.” Oliver pauses for a second, taking William’s other hand.

“You know, I could tell him that I’m sorry for what happened a million times over and it wouldn’t be enough to make up for what I did. What happened between us was awful and everyone involved was at fault. He and I both did unforgivable things, but at the same time, it could’ve all been avoided if I’d have just thought things through. I brought a lot of what happened, to him and my family and friends on myself. Which is why, helping him find his son is the least I can do. Yes, it could get a bit tricky, but I promise you that I will do everything in my power to keep it as diplomatic as possible, this is not about me putting the hood back on at all, it’s not about being Green Arrow. It’s about me helping someone I... Someone I care about.” Oliver finishes and Felicity isn’t even looking at him anymore and her expression is unreadable.

“Okay. You’re leaving tonight, I guess?” William starts, a little wide eyed after receiving the information.

“Yeah, yes. Actually, I think I’m running late.” Oliver winces when he sees the time.

“Just be careful. I don’t like this, I really don’t want you to go, but I can tell that this is important. That it’s really important and thank you for telling me the truth. I know it can’t be easy to talk about that, but I’m glad I know.” William replies.

“Me too. I didn’t. I didn’t know it was like that.” Felicity speaks up quietly, a little lost for words by the information Oliver just dumped on them.

“Whatever this guy is to you...”

“He is my friend.” Oliver states.

“Okay.” William gives him a look that Oliver can’t quite decipher.

“It’s complicated.”

“I can tell.” William’s eyes widen even further which causes Oliver’s awkward side to rise to the surface.

“Okay, what Slade and I had... Have, it. I don’t really think that it has a label as such?” 

“Oh my god.” Felicity is floored by the response and Oliver closes his eyes, suddenly wishing that he was anywhere else.

“Dad, I can tell that you need to do this and that you have to go, but please don’t be gone for long and keep your phone on.”

“Yes sir.” Oliver chuckles at the stern tone of voice is son is speaking in.

“You can call me anytime and I’ll pick up. If it’s not possible for me to call, I’ll text. I’ll stay in touch, with both of you.” Oliver looks to Felicity too.

“Might need your help with a few things.”

“I’ll have my phone on.” Felicity nods, biting her lip, a little shaken by the whole thing.

“I’ll be back when I can, okay? It won’t be long. We, Slade and I are quite efficient when we...”

William and Felicity give him startled looks.

“Work, when we work together. We got a really high risk mission done on the island ten years ago in less than a day and we have a lot more resources now then we did on a deserted island, so we’ll try to make this quick.” Oliver tries to reassure his son.

“Please be careful.” William throws his arms around Oliver then.

“I’ll try, I promise.” Oliver allows himself a few moments to hug his son.

“Be good for Rasia, okay? Do what she says at all times and stay focused at school. I’m sure you can call Felicity at any time if you need help with school work, or just need a fellow video gamer.” Oliver glances to her as he’s hugging William.

“Of course, anytime.” Felicity agrees.

“I will, please be careful dad, please come home.” William holds onto him tightly.

“I’ll do everything I can.” Oliver murmurs, before finally and reluctantly separating himself from William, who follows him when he goes to get his bag.

“Phone?” William gives him an expectant look.

“Here.” Oliver shows it to him before placing it into the pocket of his leather jacket.

“Charger?”

“I’ve got several! I also have an array of spare mobiles if his gets broken. He’s probably just as clumsy as he was ten years ago!” Oliver, Felicity and William nearly jump out of their skins when Slade’s booming voice can be heard from behind the door.

“That’ll be Slade.” Oliver winces a little, before looking down at William, who just looks a little bit lost.

“How long has he been out there?” Felicity whispers to them.

“Long enough, Miss Smoak!” 

“How did he hear me?” She practically hisses.

“He’s not human.”

“I’ve said similar things in the past, don’t worry about it.” Oliver waves a hand in her direction before turning to William.

“Come here.” He pulls his son back into his arms and William just holds onto him, not wanting to let go of his father.

“I love you and I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He promises.

“Please come back.” William murmurs and all Oliver can do is hold on him for a few moments before finally letting him go after a good five minutes has passed and he can practically hear Slade getting antsy outside, waiting for him.

“I love you.” He repeats as Felicity goes to stand with William when Oliver makes a move for the door.

Almost as if she were getting ready to defend him if an attack was to occur.

Oliver rolls his eyes at her, before opening up the door, finding Slade stood outside, not looking that pleased.

“I said 2100, kid.” He grumbles in his usual gruff manner.

“Didn’t you hear me knocking on the window?”

“Wait, how did you...” Oliver sighs when he gets it.

“You threw that rock?! Slade! You can’t throw a rock at the window like that! How did you even... I’m not going to ask, let’s go.” Oliver practically groans.

“I knew a bird couldn’t have done that kind of damage.” He hears William remark in the background.

“Kinda cool.”

“Thanks.” Slade snorts a little.

“No, it wasn’t cool, you could’ve... Look, I’m sorry I was late. I had to...”

“You don’t have to explain it to me kid.” Slade gives him a look that makes Oliver stop in the doorway.

“You... Did you hear?”

“We should get going, we have a plane to move.” Slade heads down the corridor.

“Bye.” Oliver gives his son and his friend a gentle smile before closing the door behind him, jogging after Slade.

“How long's this flight?”

“About twelve hours.” Slade replies when he’s caught up to the man.

“Thanks for coming, kid.” He nudges him some what.

“No need to thank me, I’m happy do do this. Let's go get your boy.” Oliver responds before chuckling.

“What?” Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

“Nothing, I’m just. I’m just really looking forward to that inflight movie.”

“You’re impossible, kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is awful & I am so so sorry that I am destroying these good episodes with this. I just really want to put my own spin on these episodes because whilst I love them & am so grateful for them. I am a Sladiver shipper. Thank you all so much for reading this abomination. Please do comment & tell me all your thoughts.


	3. Caught Off Guard By You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver & Slade travel to Kasnia.

I’m so sorry for this. I don’t own anything.

The freighter unleashed a deafening creak before it began to collapse.

Large pieces of debris falling onto Slade, keeping him trapped beneath them.

Oliver had moved quickly when he realised what was happening and had been relieved to find that he hadn’t been trapped.

Yet Slade had.

With the cure in one hand and an arrow in the other, Oliver whirled around to face the man that lies trapped beneath the debris.

“What are you going to do, kid?”

“Stick me with the cure? It doesn’t matter. I’ll keep my promise! I’ll take away everything and everyone you love. Sara was only the first! She was only the first. Your sister, your mother...”

Without thinking, Oliver drove the arrow through Slade’s eye.

Killing his once partner...

“Oliver!” Oliver is dragged out of his bad dream by the sensation of someone grabbing his hand.

His first reaction is to go immediately into fight mode, but he quickly remembers that he is in no danger.

“Slade?” Oliver murmurs sleepily, noticing the older man watching him.

He’s here, he’s not...

Oliver sighs, of course, they’re not on Lian Yu. They’re not on the freighter, drenched in sea water.

They’re on the plane that Slade ‘commandeered’ and are on their way to Kasnia.

Slade is flying.

“Falling asleep on me, kid?” Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

“Am I boring you?”

Oliver rolls his eyes at the man and uses his free hand to rub at his eyes.

He’s been dreaming of the events that had taken place on the freighter a lot more these days.

They’d returned to him during the first night he was able to sleep after his battle with Adrian Chase on Lian Yu.

He’s not surprised that seeing Slade again brought all of those memories, thoughts and feelings back, but he is aware that the bad memories are haunting him even more now that Slade is back to normal and Oliver knows that if he had chosen to save him that things would be a lot different.

“What were you dreaming about?” Slade asks in what can almost be described as a gentle tone, something Oliver has only rarely gotten from Slade.

Oliver notices that Slade hasn’t let go of his hand either and he doesn’t dare move it in case Slade notices that he’s actively aware of it and moves his hand.

“The island.” Oliver replies, but doesn’t elaborate.

“Keep your eyes on the sky.” Oliver gestures forward with a yawn.

“I don’t want to end up on another island.”

“You have no idea how planes work, kid.” Slade mutters with a somewhat chuckle.

“I used to be a pilot, remember?”

“You crash landed on Lian Yu.”

“That was down to Fyers and besides, Billy was flying the damn thing at the time. It never would’ve happened if I’d been at the helm.” Slade retorts gruffly.

A moment of silence passing between the two of them for a little while, before Oliver decides to address something that has been weighing on his mind since they took off.

“So, do you want to talk about the fact that you heard everything I was saying to William and Felicity?” Oliver asks to deafening silence from Slade.

“Is there anything you want to ask me?”

“Not really, kid.” Slade keeps his eye trained on the controls in front of him.

“I should’ve told Felicity and my team about what really happened between us years ago, I just... It was never something I could talk about without...” Oliver isn’t sure how to put his feelings into coherent sentences.

“I understand. It’s not something we should talk about.” Slade retorts.

“Don’t you think it would help? I mean, I felt better when I told my son and my friend the truth, maybe if we talk about it we can, I don’t know, try to deal with it, I guess? Things are different now, Slade.”

“I know, kid and that’s one of the reasons why we shouldn’t speak of it. We’re not on the island anymore and I am in possession of all my marbles, there’s nothing more to talk about.” Slade responds quietly before sighing. 

“If I’m being honest, I think you’re letting me off a bit too easily, kid and there were things you said to you son and Ms. Smoak that I don’t agree with.”

“Do you want to talk about the things you didn’t agree with?” Oliver gives him a hopeful look.

“No.” 

Oliver sighs and settles himself in his chair for a moment.

Remembering then what he has to tell Slade.

Whilst he’s a little worried about how Slade will react to the information Felicity found out about Joe, Oliver refuses to keep anything from him ever again.

“Felicity did some digging and was able to find out what Joe was accused of doing.” Oliver states plainly.

“Really?” Slade glances at him then and if Oliver’s not mistaken, he tightens the grip he has on his hand.

“Yeah Slade, she did and it’s...” Oliver tilts his head to the side, wincing at the sharp look in Slade’s eye.

“It’s not good. He, uh, he’s being accused of abducting two kids. They never proved that it was him, but everyone who was involved in the investigation thought that he did it, but they never had enough proof to pin him down to it.” Oliver explains quickly.

“That makes no sense.” Slade retorts after a moment of rather uncomfortable silence that passes between them.

“None of it does. First I cannot even find that information for myself and now that I have, it doesn’t make any sense at all. Was there anything else?”

“Nope, just that apparently. Do you... Do you. What do you think he’s gotten himself into?” Oliver queries. 

“I don’t know.” Slade mutters.

“But whatever it is, one way or another, we’re going to get to the bottom of it.” He declares and Oliver stares ahead into the distance.

Resigning himself to the fact that he’s pretty confident that this mission will not be a piece of cake by any standards.

Oliver’s phone blew up the second they landed in Kasnia.

Slade told him to deal with it whilst he found a car for them.

Calling William was the first thing Oliver did when he dared to look at his phone, wincing at the amount of messages and missed calls that there are from John Diggle.

It was a quick phone call and Oliver did what he could to assure William that everything should be okay and that he’d do everything in his power to keep himself safe.

That he’d come home at the end of all of this. 

It was incredibly brief in the end, but it was enough to put Oliver’s mind somewhat at ease and he hopes that he’d been able to do the same for his son. 

He then turned his attention to the messages from the rest of the team, who had evidently finally found out where he was and who he was with. 

Most of the messages were angry or passive aggressive.

The majority of the angry ones were from John and the passive aggressive ones were from Rene, Curtis and Dinah.

Curtis had even added him to a group chat that included Curtis himself, Rene, Dinah, John and Felicity where they were discussing what Oliver had chosen to do and why what he is doing is the worst idea he has ever had.

Some of the strongly worded messages from John definitely gave Oliver a clear picture of what John Diggle evidently thinks about his choice to help Slade.

Curtis had asked if he was being held against his will on the chat and Felicity had attempted to explain what Oliver had told her, but he quickly sent a message to tell them that he would explain everything after he’s finished helping Slade. 

No one, apart from Felicity, had seemed happy with his reply and his phone was filled with messages once again, which was fortunately when Slade had reappeared.

“I’ve gotten us a vehicle. Is everything okay, kid?” 

“Yeah.” Oliver put his phone on silent and shoved it out of sight into his pocket.

“Everything’s fine.”

It took longer that Oliver thought it would to reach the hotel and he found himself feeling rather tired by the time they had gotten to it.

He wonders if they’ll be getting on with the mission straight away, or if he’ll be allowed a quick rest.

He figures that he’ll just lie down on the bed and if Slade yells at him, then he’ll know what the older man wants to do. 

The room they had been allocated was basic, but compared to the Fuselage they’d lived in back on Lian Yu, it was luxurious.

Slade had told Oliver that he could get his own room if he wanted to, but Oliver didn’t see the point of doing that at all.

They lived together on a cramped wreckage for nearly two years, sharing a spacious hotel room with two beds would be a breeze for them.

In all honesty, Oliver had actually wanted to share a room with Slade. 

Hoping that it would remind them both of happier times.

Memories that he never wants to forget.

That it would make the harrowing nightmares Oliver knows won’t be going away any time soon easier if he knows Slade is in the other bed across from his.

Slade had been fine with Oliver’s choice and was quick to point out that it would be much easier for them to work out a quick and efficient plan with them both in the same room together.

Dropping his bag onto the floor beside the bed he’d decided to take, Oliver clambers onto said bed, watching Slade work for a moment.

Seeing Slade glaring down at various pieces of paper he’s already scattered about the place, reminds him of the strategies they’d focus on together back on Lian Yu. 

The battle plans that Slade would come up with and discuss with him mere hours before they were put into action.

Oliver would always watch and attempt to take in as much of it as he could.

Sure, he’d get bored and Slade would get easily annoyed with him.

He fondly remembers the day he’d made the mistake of dozing off during one of Slade’s explanations.

Slade had kicked his ass up and down the fuselage all day long in the name of ‘training’ and made him sleep at the complete opposite end of the Fuselage for the week.

It was supposed to be for a fortnight, but Oliver had managed to wear him down by being extra whiny. 

Which was when Slade had gone to sleep in a tree for a few days, until deciding to grace Oliver with his presence when he was in a decidedly better mood.

Oliver does end up dozing off in the end.

Slade’s voice always used to send him off to sleep when he was exhausted on the island.

Turns out, it’s no different nearly eight years on. 

“Rise and shine.” Oliver is awake the second Slade rests a hand on his shoulder.

Blinking up at the man, Oliver finds himself smiling when he realises that Slade is perched on the bed and is giving him a friendly-for-Slade look.

“I gave you an hour.“ Slade informs him before Oliver can ask how long he was asleep for.

“It was a long trip and I needed to get a few things in order before we leave to meet my point of contact.” 

“Who’s that?” Oliver sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“You’ll see.” 

“I don’t like the sound of that.” Oliver admits as he watches Slade cross the room to grab a few things.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I always worry.”

“I know, tried my best to knock that out of you on the island. Never worked.” Slade chuckles to himself. 

“One of us has to have some restraint.” Oliver points out.

“Which is exactly why I need you.” 

Oliver turns to him.

“For the mission.” Slade adds firmly.

“Alright.” Oliver rubs his face.

“Give me a few minutes to change and then we’ll go.” 

“Just come as you are.” Slade gives him a puzzled look.

“You said you wanted diplomacy and Oliver Queen. This is going to be like conducting business.”

“It won’t be that formal, kid.”

“It might help. I won’t be long.”

“How? Oliver!” Slade falls after him, but Oliver is already heading into the en-suite and shutting the door behind him.

The door drowns Slade’s gruff comments out somewhat, but the disgruntled growling still succeeds in cheering Oliver up.

He’s used to it.

Oliver brought one of his favourite suits with him for the mission.

One that makes him feel both comfortable and confident. 

It’s a nice blue and Oliver keeps it for special occasions

He’s not quite sure why he chose it, but when he’s standing in an abandoned Kasnia junkyard with a somewhat on edge Slade, he feels pretty good about himself.

“So where's your point of contact?” He chooses to ask once they’ve been standing around for over half an hour.

I don't know. His name's Nylander. A Foreign associate of mine from back in the service days.” Slade replies.

“Associate?” 

“Yes. He's a bit of a jackarse and never on time.” Slade informs him.

“He's not that bad.” An unfamiliar voice fills Oliver’s ears and they both turn around to see, who Oliver presumes is Slade’s associate.

“Ha ha! Slade Wilson, the Terminator!” The man addresses Slade before embracing him.

Oliver folds his arms.

Surprised that this man is still standing.

Slade has never been much of a hugger at all.

In fact, Oliver remembers nearly getting promptly decapitated the first time he tried to hug Slade on the island.

He wasn’t even infected with the Mirakuru at that point.

Maybe it’s just a gut feeling, but Slade’s ‘associate’ is already starting to irk him a little bit.

“I haven't heard that name in a while.” Slade chuckles.

I haven’t heard that name at all. Oliver thinks to himself.

‘Slade Wilson, The Terminator.”

As ominous as it sounds, Oliver is stuck by curiosity.

“See you're running later than usual.” Slade extracts himself from the embrace.

“I was with a girl.” The man replies.

“Anyway, forget about it. Look at you! The Mirakuru did you wonders, huh?” 

Oliver takes an immediate step forward when Slade lowers his head.

His once mentor can handle him himself, there’s no doubt about that, but Oliver is ready to assist him if he chooses to attack his ‘associate.’

“Oh, what? You're not still sensitive about that shit, are you? You were quite the madman, I hear.”

Oliver glares at the man finding himself seconds away from saying something. 

“You promised me something. Did you bring it, or did I waste my time traveling thousand miles for you to screw with me?” Slade is sharp and straight to the point in seconds and the man digs out what appears to be a file for him.

“Truth be told, I'm glad you got your marbles back.” He smirks as Slade starts to look through the file, which is when he focuses his attention on the silently seething Oliver.

“So who's this?”

“He's a friend of mine. Don't worry about him.” 

“With you, I always worry.” The man keeps his eye on Oliver for a few moments as Slade rummages through the file.

“This should work. Thank you.” Slade nods down at the file, before closing it up

“That's it? Just "thank you"? No extravagant dinner, no pints?” The man appears surprised.

“Maybe next time when my son isn't rotting in a third-world prison.” Slade smirks somewhat.

“He's lucky to have you as a father.” The man remarks.

“My son wouldn't be in this mess if anybody else was his father.” Slade murmurs and Oliver’s glade fades immediately when Slade glances over at him.

“Just be careful. Your boy was snooping around some private-op mercenaries,   
um, not so nice guys.” The guy warns him.

“Under certain circumstances.” Slade smiles at Oliver as he approaches him. 

“I'm not so nice a guy.”

“Come on, kid.” Slade grabs Oliver’s arm, who follows behind him, after pausing for a matter of seconds in which he gave Slade’s ‘associate’ one last distrustful glare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thank you all so much for reading. I’m so so sorry that it took forever to update. I haven’t been in a great headspace but I was absolutely desperate to update & I knew it had to be soon especially after I saw all these kind comments, which mean the world to me. I’m terrified that I’m wrecking these great episodes, but I just can’t get this idea out of my head. I’ll try to update as soon as I can. Thank you all again for reading & please do comment & tell me all your thoughts if you can.


	4. All That’s Left Is You & Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver attempts to talk to Slade about the past.

I don’t own anything.

Slade doesn’t give Oliver the opportunity to ask any questions of the sort.

About the meeting they were just a part of, or anything more personal. 

Oliver understands somewhat.

He wants to be reunited with his son and every moment they waste only adds to Joe’s stint in prison.

However, he can also tell that Slade is trying to avoid a conversation between them that could lead them back to talking about the past.

“I call this play Liberty watch.” Slade continues to explain the plan, by picking up a pamphlet that had been a part of the mess that appears to be his investigation.

“A famous American mayor comes to small, war-torn Kasnia to fight for the release of a man who has been wrongfully accused and convicted.” 

“That's very clever.” Oliver remarks with a nod.

He’s not surprised. 

Slade has always had some pretty genius plans.

“Like I promised you, it's a diplomatic solution.” Slade brushes past him.

“Well, Slade, even though that plan is a good one, I don’t think that they're gonna free your son just because I give them a photo op.” Oliver explains as carefully as he can.

“Well, the photo op is just to gain entry. Of course they'll need an actual reason to release him and here are fifty thousand.” Slade opens up a metal case that he had brought with him and Oliver finds himself sighing when he sees the wads of cash.

He’s not going to ask where they’re from and how Slade got a hold of them.

It’s for his son.

Oliver knows that he would do the exact same thing for William if he were in the same position as Slade is in right now.

“Alright. Assuming this works, where do we meet? I take it you’re not coming to the prison with me.” Oliver’s response comes out as more of a statement then a question.

Of course Slade won’t be coming with him.

Despite the events that occurred on Lian Yu, Slade is still probably a wanted man in most countries.

Oliver’s still getting chewed out by Lyla for letting him walk away.

Especially seeing as they hadn’t been able to track him at all. 

The second he’d left Star City, it was as if he’d become a ghost.

Which was something that was oddly reassuring to Oliver due to a multitude of reasons and suspicions that he has towards the situation.

“When you pick up Joe from the prison, I want you go straight to the airport.” Slade tells him as he’s handing him a thick envelope.

“Here is an alias passport for him and tickets for you both to London. I’ll meet you in Star City when this is all over to thank you properly.” Slade rests both of his hands against Oliver’s arms for a few moments.

Despite finding himself lost in Slade’s immense brown eyes for a moment, Oliver is quick to process what Slade has just told him and soon starts to frown at the older man.

“Don’t overthink it, Oliver. It’ll be alright. As I told you, my son and I are quite alike. Sure, he’s more of a conversationalist than I am, but he won’t have much to say.”

“Are you not even gonna see him?” Oliver finds himself asking when Slade starts to walk away.

Pausing, Slade turns around to face him, an unreadable expression returning to his face.

“Kid, I need you to promise me that you won't tell him that I helped.” Slade requests.

“No. I'm not gonna lie to your son.” Oliver retorts.

“And if he’s like you then he’s not going to appreciate me lying to him. Don’t you think it’s going to look a little bit odd to him?”

“I’m sure he’ll just be grateful to be out of that damn prison.”

“He’s a Wilson and if he’s anything like the man you told me he was and especially if he’s like you, then he’s gonna want the truth and he’s definitely going to suspect something when I show up to take him to the airport. I’m sure he watches the news, Slade. He probably knows all about me and what happened between us. Well, all the bad stuff anyway. What do you want me to tell him when he starts asking questions?” Oliver exclaims.

“I doubt he will...”

“He’s gonna ask, Slade! For the love of... Just come with me, please. At least to the airport. I thought you wanted to get to the bottom of the mess he’s found himself in. How can you do that if you don’t talk to him?”

“Easily. You’ll get it out of him and tell me. I’ll sort it out for him and that’ll be the end of it.” Slade replies.

“That’s not... No. Slade, that’s insane. That’s actually insane. I can’t do that. I don’t even know how I’m going to be able to look him in the eye after everything we did to each other, let alone start grilling him about god knows what incident he’s wrapped up in.” Oliver gives Slade a pointed look. 

“You’re overthinking this, kid.”

“No, I’m not! Joe is going to ask questions.”

“And if he does, tell him an appropriate version of the truth. It's better this way.”

“For him or for you?” Oliver retorts in a sharper manner than he had intended and he has to stop to take a breath before he continues.

This is hard for Slade.

It has to be.

Oliver understands that more than anyone, but once again, he knows why Slade is doing this and it is once again because Slade is blaming himself for something that wasn’t all his fault.

Something that he knows can be explained Joe.

Yeah, Joe may end up hating him with a passion, but Oliver would be able to take it if it meant that he was able to mend fences with his father.

It might be hard to hear, but Oliver knows that if Joe does end up hating him for what happened, then that is at least a step in the right direction.

“Are you afraid that he's gonna see you  
as Deathstroke and not the man you were? The man I know you are now?” Oliver speaks softly this time, slowly starting to approach Slade as the man stares out of the window.

“I gave up my right to be his father when I stepped out of the light into the shadows and became this monster.”

“Oh my god, Slade. You’re not a monster. That wasn’t you...”

“Yes it was.”

“It was the Mirakuru.” 

“No...”

“Goddammit, Slade it was!” Oliver snaps then before holding his hands up and taking a deep breath.

“Your son will forgive you, just like William forgave me.” He states with all the confidence in the world.

“When I started searching for Joe, when I started to dig into the crimes he’s allegedly committed, his mother sent me a message warning me to stay away.” Slade murmurs.

“And who are you going to listen to? Your ex-wife who you definitely had some choice words for back on Lian Yu, or me? The person who has...” Oliver doesn’t know what to say.

“Despite my personal feelings towards that woman, she is right. What I’ve done is unforgivable and the fact that you’re standing in front of me right now is nothing short of a blessing. Our situations are very different, kid. You got your second chance because you deserved it  
and I am happy for you.” Slade moves towards the door then, holding it open, expecting Oliver to leave.

“Some fathers aren't that lucky.”

“No. No, I am not going anywhere until we’ve talked about this and we are talking about this.” Oliver moves towards the door and closes it.

“I’ve already told you everything you need to know and I’ve said my piece and may I remind you that my son is currently sat in that prison as we speak. We don’t have time for this!” Slade growls at him, but Oliver holds up a hand again, his palm almost bushing up against Slade’s chest.

“I know, I know and I’m not... I’m not going to tell you that you have to come with me or anything like that. I just want to talk to you about what happened to us.”

“No.” Slade strides away from him.

“You can’t keep avoiding this...”

“There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Yes there is, Slade. There’s so much we need to talk about. That I need to talk to you about.” Oliver sighs.

“I’ve got nothing left to say, kid. You know where I stand and what I believe.” Slade retorts firmly.

“And I think that you’re wrong.”

“I know you think that, but that’s irrelevant.”

Oliver sighs once more, before placing the envelope on the table and taking a few steps towards Slade.

There is still a distance between them, but hopefully Slade will let him talk. 

“I’m sorry.” Oliver starts.

“Oliver...”

“No.” Oliver cuts Slade off mid growl.

“You might not want to talk about what happened, but I need to talk about this. You don’t have to say anything and as soon as I’m done, I’ll go. I promise, I’ll go and get Joe.” Oliver pauses as Slade glares at him with his one eye.

“I’m sorry that I did this to you.”

“You didn’t...”

“Slade, I ran into a field when we were being fired at by missiles or god knows what they were. I didn’t listen to you when you told me to stay put and when you got hit, you were dying because of what I did.” Oliver states plainly.

“You’re wrong. I didn’t have to follow you down there, kid, it was my choice to follow you and mine alone.” Slade grumbles. 

“And it was my choice to give you the Mirakuru.”

“I told you to do it.”

“No you didn’t. I brought it to you and told you what it could do and you just went along with it and you know what, if you’d said no, I still would’ve given it to you. I would have done anything to save you.” Oliver admits his thought process eight years ago for the first time.

“I don’t know what you remember about the submarine, if you remember any of that.”

“It’s... That is hazy. I remember the pain, talking to you and Shado and feeling like I’d been set on fire again, everything’s unclear after that. I thought I was dreaming for sometime but then I woke up and remembered where I was and you lot were already gone.” Slade replies quietly, barely even looking at Oliver.

“I watched you die, Slade. You were in so much pain and then you were gone and I just... I didn’t know what to do. I still think that I would’ve just sat with you if Shado hadn’t have pulled me away.” Oliver continues quietly.

“I remember not wanting to leave you and everything else after that was a blur. The first cohesive thought I remember having was when you were burying Shado. I wanted to tell you what had happened and after you gave me her hood, I was going. I was going to talk to you, but Sara stopped me and basically told me that I shouldn’t trust you anymore because of the Mirakuru and... For some reason I just went along with it. I was young, stupid and scared. Scared that I’d end up losing you and that Sara was right, but I messed up. I should’ve trusted you. As I’ve said before, Sara didn’t know you...”

“But she understood the Mirakuru and she was right.” Slade points out.

“No she wasn’t, because I didn’t even think of the implications. I was just so scared of losing you that I didn’t realise what lying to you meant and it’s taken me years. Years of thinking about what happened to finally accept that a lot of things could’ve been avoided if I’d just been a little bit smarter.” Oliver pauses again for a moment, holding his hands up.

“When we met, you were still processing what Wintergreen had done to you. He was your friend, Joe’s godfather and he betrayed everything that he had with you. I still don’t know if killing him brought you peace, but I know that it affected you and I still think that you kept your distance and your whole ‘feelings get you killed’ response because of what he’d done to you and even though I know you still thought that forming attachments would get us killed, we became attached to each other. You opened up to me, to what we ended up having and whilst I understand that the Mirakuru played a big part in what happened, it forced you to give into it because the last thing you heard before it took over was hearing that I’d lied to you after everything we’d been though.” Oliver stares directly at Slade, who has finally began to look at him. 

“I can’t imagine what the Mirakuru did to you. What it twisted and what it showed you, but I didn’t help you. I thought I could, but I didn’t.” 

“You did what you could, kid.”

“But I didn’t. I lied to you and I killed you.”

“You were protecting your family, Oliver.” Slade attempts to reason with him.”

“And I would’ve done if I had cured you. You would’ve been fine if I had and my mother would still be alive.” Oliver states in a matter of fact way.

“I can’t... I can’t blame you for that, not anymore, I used to and that was because I never... I never tried to face up to what everything that was happening back then meant when I should have. You weren’t in control and that’s because of what I did to you. The Mirakuru destroyed you and it would’ve destroyed Roy Harper too if I hadn’t have cured him when I did, because I knew that I had to do better with him and even when I’d cured him and he was fine and back to the person he was. I never talked about that with my team and I never thought that the same could happen to you, even though it has. It’s why we’re here right now and if I’d just... If I’d cured you back on Lian Yu then I could’ve saved you from so much pain. I could’ve saved both of us from the pain we ended up causing each other and I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry that I did that to you because you were the last person I ever wanted to lose.” Oliver finishes.

“I was dreaming about the moment I stabbed you thought the eye with my arrow when I was sleeping on the plane. I’ve never been able to move passed what happened between us on the island and I don’t think I ever will. I thought that coming with you and helping you save Joe would help and if this goes to plan, then maybe it will do something, maybe it will help me as I continue to try and move past Lian Yu, I mean, I doubt it, but I thought that maybe if we were able to talk about it then...”

“Oliver, I see the pain that I put you through every time I look at you.” Slade silences him when he finally speaks.

“I cannot comprehend why I was ever able to harm you, but I did. I became a monster and I lost you because I was weak. You talk to me about how you should have done more, well, kid. I should have tried harder to fight the Mirakuru and I should have protected you.” Slade speaks in a sharp tone of voice.

“We were from completely different worlds back then, Oliver. You were a spoilt rich kid and I was a soldier. I did what I could to give you a fighting chance at survival, but all I did was cause you pain. I should have fought against the Mirakuru and won. I should have kept you safe. I promised you that I would and I broke my promise.”

“Slade, if you hadn’t have trained me, I never would’ve survived those five years and I wouldn’t be the man I am today.” Oliver replies softly, walking a little bit closer to Slade.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do my father’s work and protect Star City. You’re the reason that I was able to become the Green Arrow and I can’t thank you enough for all that you did for me to keep me alive. I put you though hell. I whined and annoyed the crap out of you for the best part of that first year, but you put up with me and you taught me how to survive. I’d be dead ten times over if it wasn’t for you.”

“You’re not wrong. I still don’t know how you managed to survive those five months before you found me.” Slade smirks somewhat. 

“Well, I’m so glad that I did find you.”

Slade doesn’t say anything then and avoids the gentle look in Oliver’s eyes.

“And I’m glad that you did open up to me a bit, even after everything that had happened to you. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you on the island.”

“There would be less trauma.” Slade mutters.

“Oh, I seriously doubt that. I know that you don’t want to talk about it, but you gotta remember that it wasn’t always traumatic and awful. I mean, yeah. The training was rough and okay, yes there are times that I think that you used to kick my ass just so you had something to do.”

“Where did you get that impression from?” Slade snorts and Oliver just smiles.

“There were good times.” 

Slade falls silent again.

“Really good time’s that I’ve never forgotten. I mean I spent most of my days on that island in constant fear and misery. I didn’t think that I would ever see my family again and I was always afraid that I was going to die in the most horrible way know to man and god, but it was different when I was with you. Even when you were kicking my ass up and down the island, you were always there and I only ever felt safe when I was with you.” Oliver pauses for a moment.

“You made me feel safe and loved, Slade.”

Slade approaches him slowly then, barely looking at him as he stands in front of him.

Oliver is immediately conscious of the fact that if he reached out now they would be touching and whilst every part of his being is screaming at him to be brave and take the leap, he doesn’t.

Instead, he just stands there, in a more awkward manner then intended.

“I know you don’t forgive yourself, but I am going to hold out hope that one day you will. Now, I gotta go and get your son. I’ll take him to London and then I’ll go back to Star City. Will you be there like you said you would be?” Oliver enquires.

“If that’s what you wish.” 

“Yeah... Yes, I’d like that.” Oliver nods, staring into Slade’s eye for a moment.

There’s so much more that he would like to say to the man.

So much more that he wants to talk about.

That they should be talking about. 

Yet, it can wait.

This is about Joe now.

Getting him out of prison and hopefully out of whatever trouble the young man has found himself in. 

“I’ll go. I’ll see you around, Slade.” Oliver edges around the room, grabbing the envelope Slade had tried to give him earlier. 

“Look after him and yourself.” Slade follows Oliver to the door.

“Of course. You know, I always wondered if I’d get to meet your son. I never expected it to be like this, but honestly, nothing really surprises me anymore. I’ll make sure he’s safe, Slade. You can trust me.” 

“I know.” Slade replies, unleashing a brief sigh before pressing a hasty kiss to Oliver’s cheek. 

“Thank you, Oliver.” Slade murmurs, before giving the man a light shove out of the door.

Dazed for a few brief seconds, Oliver trips up over his own feet on the way down the corridor.

Reminding himself to stay calm and confident, getting into the Kasnia prison is easy for Oliver Queen, the Mayor of Star City to do. 

He’s nervous, he can’t say that he isn’t.

Meeting Joe for the first time and not knowing how he’ll react is weighing quite heavily on his mind. 

“Mr. Queen.” The Warden stands to greet him as he strides into the room.

“Thank you for taking the time.” Oliver speaks quietly, hoping to get this sorted as quickly as possible.

“It is not every day I meet celebrity.”

“Oh, I'm not famous.” Oliver responds.

“I saw you on news once. You punched man with camera.”

Oliver pauses for a few brief seconds before he remembers what the warden is talking about.

“Yeah. I sure did.” Oliver remarks under his breath.

“They also say you are quite good with bow and arrow.”

“Oh, don't believe everything that you see on TV.” Oliver speaks quickly.

If anything, being here with Slade has been a nice distraction from that and Oliver hates to think about what the FBI is doing to his team in his absence.

With him being gone, they’ve got the opportunity to speak with them and according to a message he’s seen from Felicity, they have.

Oliver just hopes that no one asks where he is and who he went with.

That could make things awkward. 

“Ok, ok. I understand you're with organization in hopes...”

“To request the release of one of your prisoners. Kane Wolfman.” Oliver fits the Warden off, who, to Oliver’s surprise, has an odd reaction to Oliver’s request.

He leans back in his chair and sighs.

“I wish you'd come earlier.”

Walking back to the hotel, Oliver leans against the wall that’s just a little bit away from the door to the room he and Slade were sharing.

He saw the car out front, Slade should still be here.

Closing his eyes, Oliver covers his mouth with his hands.

This is...

The unthinkable.

It’s awful...

How is he going to tell Slade the truth?

This shouldn’t have happened.

This shouldn’t be how it ends, but it is and now Oliver knows that he’s got to go back into that room and tell the man cares so deeply for that his son is...

No, no. He’s got to do it now or Oliver doesn’t know how he ever will.

Heading to the door, Oliver knows that Slade probably hasn’t locked it and is relieved that he hasn’t when it opens for him.

“What are you doing back here?” Slade’s voice is the first thing he hears when he enters the room.

“I told you to take him to the airport. Do not tell me that you have actually brought him here?” 

Oliver doesn’t say anything.

How can he do this?

This is going to break him.

“Where is my son?” Slade continues when Oliver doesn’t do or say anything and Joe doesn’t appear.

“Slade.” Oliver approaches the man slowly.

“There was a... There was a fight in the prison yard that Joe tried to break up.” Oliver explains quietly as Slade stares at him, a worried look forming in his eye.

“Someone pushed him and he hit his head. He's gone.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading. Again, I’m sorry for wrecking these great episodes & I’ll work on the next update when I can. Thank you all for your kind words & please comment & tell me all your thoughts if you can.


	5. We’re Invincible In A Violet Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver & Slade focus on trying to figure out where do they go from here.

I don’t own anything.

Silence.

Slade fell silent when he learnt the truth and hasn’t said a word since.

When he had found out about Shado, he’d been angry.

Filled with unrelenting rage, thanks to the Mirakuru. 

Yet now, he’s just silent and Oliver doesn’t know what to do.

The only thing he had done was move to sit at the edge of his bed.

Oliver had contemplated joining him, due to the fact that he wants to comfort the man in away that he can, but he decided that it was probably best for him to keep his distance for now, in case Slade loses it.

Which whilst, Oliver doesn’t think that he will do, he thinks that it’s for the best that he’s ready for that response.

So Oliver just turns his phone off, sits himself down on the other bed and waits.

Just sitting with Slade in complete silence until Slade finally says something.

“He never knew.” Slade murmurs, his eyes glued to his phone where there is a picture of himself and Joe during their father-son camping trip/pre-Lian Yu side mission that Slade had to deal with during the weekend of which he had custody of Joe.

“Never knew what?” Oliver speaks softly.

“That I loved him.” Slade replies after a moment.

Oliver moves then, sitting himself down right beside Slade.

Desperately wanting to comfort him. 

Especially when he sees that Slade is gazing down at a picture of Joe. 

“Sure he did, Slade.” Oliver responds quietly. 

I don't remember the last time... I told him.” Slade turns his head away from Oliver for a few brief seconds before looking down at his hands, trembling somewhat. 

“Well, you were his father. Trust me, he knew.” Oliver tries to reassure him, but he knows that it won’t make much of a difference.

“He didn’t want me to leave for Lian Yu.” Slade admits quietly.

“Yes, he thought that I was just a regular old pilot and even though he believed the lie, he was still... I don’t know what it was, kid. Honestly, at first I thought it was because he didn’t want to go home to his mother because he kept telling me that he had a bad feeling about the trip I would be taking and that he didn’t want me to leave. I mean, I suppose he was right.” Slade peers down at his phone.

“The worst part of it was, was that the last weekend I spent with him before the mission, I was still working the mission. I promised him a father-son camping trip and whilst I gave that to him. I had been given information and orders from ASIS that an individual connected to the case would be in the area at the time and when Joe was occupied, I got the job done. I let him believe that we were just on a trip together when in reality I was getting information from and killing a man for work.” Slade sighs.

“He didn’t know that you were a part of ASIS?” Oliver is surprised to hear this.

“My ex-wife didn’t want me telling him about what I did for a living. I don’t blame her for wanting to keep my son out of it, but I hated having to lie to him. Funny enough, he wasn’t even angry at me for not telling him the truth about my work when we were reunited after the island.” Slade remarks. 

“He was angry with his mother, but not me and believe me, kid, that was somewhat comforting.” 

“You found him after the island?” Oliver questions Slade’s words.

“Yes.” Slade replies curtly and doesn’t expand on that for a few moments.

“And he saw the monster I had become, which is why I did not think it would be wise for me to go with you to the prison.” 

“I should have come with you to the prison. I know it wouldn't have made any difference, but... at least I could have seen him.” Slade mutters, his eye slightly glassy.

“I could have said goodbye.”

“We still can.” Oliver fights the urge to put his arm around the man.

“You can still say goodbye.”

Slade returns to silence in response and rests his hand on Oliver’s knee.

“Come here.” Oliver’s request is barely a whisper, but Slade responds by sliding an arm around his shoulders and bringing Oliver closer to his side, resting his head on top of Oliver’s as he continues to tremble.

Oliver doesn’t say anything else as rests against Slade and closes his eyes when he realises that Slade is crying...

An hour or more passes until Slade is ready to go to the prison. 

“I’ll do the talking. I’ll pay them off if they recognise you or if anyone says anything. This is about you and Joe, I won’t let anyone get in the way of you saying goodbye to your boy.” Oliver assures the clearly distraught man. 

“Thank you.” Slade bows his head for a moment.

“Do you want to go now?” Oliver enquires quietly.

“Yes. I need to...” Slade takes a deep breath and stares out of the window for a few brief seconds.

“I need to see him.”

“I’ll be right there with you, every step of the way.” Oliver promises quietly.

“I won’t let you go through this alone.”

Slade turns around to face him then, his eye glistening with tears that he immediately wipes away with the back of his hand.

“Thanks, kid.” He responds, following Oliver to the door. 

Taking Oliver’s slightly outstretched hand as they prepare to embark on a rather difficult journey together.

“I want you to come home with me when this is all over.” Oliver puts his thoughts into words as he and Slade are nearing the prison.

“What do you mean?” Slade raises an eyebrow at him.

“I don’t want you to be on your own after this, so I want you to come back to Star City with me.”

“That would never work, kid and you know it.” Slade responds with a tired sigh.

“We’d work something out.”

“Oliver...”

“We’ll work something out.” Oliver cuts him off firmly.

Too tired and emotionally drained to give Oliver all the reasons why his idea would be a catastrophically bad one, Slade just rolls his eye at the younger man as they head into the prison together. 

“Mr. Queen, I was not expecting a return visit.” The warden is genuinely surprised to see Oliver in his office for the second time in one day.

“Uh, warden, this is Kane Wolfman's father.” Oliver gestures to Slade, who is stood stoic behind him. 

“He wishes to see his son's body.” Oliver makes his request known in a gentle manner for Slade’s sake.

“I am afraid that won't be possible.” The warden reveals to Oliver’s surprise, who winces when he feels Slade tensing up behind him.

“Why? You said he passed only days ago.” Oliver attempts to remain as calm as possible.

“Yes, but...”

“Warden, where’s the body?!” Oliver cuts him off before there’s even a chance for Slade to get angry.

“It is no longer in my possession.” The warden admits, which is when Slade finally snaps in a manner that Oliver hasn’t seen from him since the days of Lian Yu and the Mirakuru.

“Then where is my son's body?” Slade growls as he surges forward, stopped only by the hand Oliver rests on his shoulder.

“Hey, hey, hey. Easy, easy.” Oliver tries to calm Slade down the best he can, squeezing Slade’s shoulder lightly in an attempt to soothe him if that is at all possible to do right now. 

“He's lying!” Slade hisses as Oliver moves himself so that he’s standing between Slade and the warden to prevent any violence from occurring. 

Resting his hand back on Slade’s shoulder again when he does so before eying the evidently corrupt warden.

“Do you want me to contact Liberty watch? Do you want me to cause an international incident? Because I am prepared to do both.” Oliver threatens the man in a more diplomatic sense.

“The situation is... Complicated.”

“Then uncomplicate it!” Slade snarls viciously pushing past the hand Oliver has on his shoulder.

“Hey, hey.” Oliver rests his hand against Slade’s chest to keep him from attacking the Warden, which Oliver is pretty sure that he’s seconds away from doing. 

“Slade.” He watches as the dark look in Slade’s eye is replaced with a somewhat look of acceptance of the fact that he cannot attack the warden right here, right now.

‘It’s going to be okay, let me handle this’ Oliver speaks in a different language that Slade taught him when they were on the island together.

He’s surprised how easily he remembers it.

“Trust me on this one. Don't make this man angry.” Oliver warns the warden, who, with one look at Slade, appears to take Oliver’s word for that.

“They are called the Jackals.” The Warden admits with a frustrated sigh once he’s sat back behind his desk.

“The men your son investigated. When they discovered his arrest, which was merely him being in wrong place at wrong time, they broke into prison, took him.”

“Why did they take him?” Slade growls fighting somewhat against Oliver’s hand again.

“For Torture. Your son is spy. In his head, there are secrets worth millions. They threatened reprisal on my family if I spoke about it.” The warden informs them and once he’s finished, the menacing look returns to Slade’s eye and he pushes past Oliver’s hand and turns around to leave the room.

“Slade... Slade.” Oliver calls after him, worry starting to set in.

“When the Jackals took my son.” Slade snarls.

“They didn't count on who his father was.”

“Slade!” Oliver calls when he’s finally returned to the hotel.

Slade got a head start on him and Oliver has an uneasy feeling that he’s about to do something rash.

Something that will put him in danger.

“He’s alive.” Is all Slade says when Oliver enters the room.

“Slade...”

“They’ve got him. They’re torturing him.” Slade practically hisses as he stands over the bag that he’d brought with him.

“Hey, hey... We’re going to find him, alright?” Oliver crosses the room until he’s at Slade’s side.

“What can I do?”

“Nothing. There’s nothing you can do, kid.”

“Do you even know where to start?” Oliver sighs, taking a slight step back when Slade fixes him with a piercing glare.

“I’ll find him.”

“Slade, that could take... Hold on.” Oliver holds his hands up to Slade before reaching into his pocket for his phone.

“Trust me.” He gives Slade a brief but gentle look as he searches for Felicity in his contacts.

Ignoring whatever conversation Oliver has decided to engage in, Slade turns back to the bag.

He has it unzipped in one quick, fluid motion. 

Inside is the suit.

His suit.

The Deathstroke suit.

He hasn’t worn it since he was fighting by Oliver’s side on Lian Yu.

There was no need for it when he was tracking down Joe.

In all honesty, he’d been avoiding putting the damned thing back on.

It reminds him of the monster he’d become.

The monster who had hurt Oliver in unthinkable and quite frankly, unforgivable ways.

He was telling the the truth before.

Everything that happened to him whilst he was influenced by the mind-twisting Mirakuru felt like a bad dream.

As if it wasn’t him in control.

That whilst he was sure that he was in control of his own actions it felt like that he was watching the whole thing play out before him and he was unable to actually make any decisions of his own.

As if he were trapped within his own mind whilst something else drove him to hurt one of the only people he has ever truly cared for.

He will never forgive himself for what he did to Oliver, or Joe for that matter.

Oliver shouldn’t even be here.

He shouldn’t be so forgiving.

It makes no sense to him at all.

After everything he’s done, Oliver should have rightfully thrown him back into a cell after their fight against Adrian Chase.

The kid definitely shouldn’t have let him leave and he definitely shouldn’t be here right now, helping him find his son.

Oliver had finally gotten himself to a decent place.

He’s the damn mayor of his town, he’s saved his city in so many ways and now he has the chance to be a father to his boy.

Yet here he is, by his side as if nothing had happened.

As if he actually deserves forgiveness...

“Hey, so I asked Felicity for any intel she could find on the Jackals.” Slade’s train of thought is cut off by Oliver’s abrupt return.

“She hacked the databases of every major intelligence agency in the world.” He continues as he comes to a stop at Slade’s side.

“What did she find?”

“Nothing. These guys are ghosts.” Oliver responds as he stares down at his phone.

“Well, that's no help.” Slade grumbles, turning back to his bag.

“This is.” Oliver puts his phone in front of Slade, showing him security footage of the prison.

Revealing to him that his son was alive when he was taken by these men.

“Using closed circuit cameras in the prison and surrounding areas, she got their escape route, the license plates, and then using keyhole satellite technology...”

“She tracked them to one location.” Slade cuts Oliver off.

“Yes, she's did.” He confirms.

“She's brilliant.” Slade has to admit.

“Thank her for me, kid. I would thank her myself, but I know how she feels about me.” 

“I think she’ll warm up to you now. I told her the truth and well, she is helping us instead of sending me accusatory messages like the others are, so...” Oliver shrugs.

“They have good reason not to trust me.” 

“They’ll come around... Eventually.”

“I doubt it.”

“I’ll talk to them, I’ll tell them the truth like I did with Felicity.” Oliver promises.

“Honestly, their opinion does not matter to me whatsoever.” Slade retorts to what sounds like a strangled sigh of frustration from Oliver.

“You’re the only one that matters.” Slade turns back to his things, which is when Oliver catches a glimpse of a gun.

It doesn’t surprise him that Slade wants to go and get Joe back right this second.

He did the exact same thing for William when Adrian Chase had taken him and the rest of his his friends and family.

They’ll probably discuss and detail their plan of attack on the way to the location.

Just like they would have done if they were back on Lian Yu together.

“What's in there for me?” Oliver tries to peer into the bag.

“Nothing. I promised you, your only part in this was talking.” Slade replies firmly.

“Circumstances have changed.”

“Not for you.” Slade turns around to face him.

“You've got your feet planted in one world,   
and you should keep them there.”

“Slade, these Jackals are the best of the worst, all right? They are stone-cold killers.” Oliver explains as calmly as he can.

Of course Slade wants to go in their alone.

Oliver should have prepared himself for this eventuality.

“What do you think I am?”

“You’re not a stone-cold killer, Slade. You were a soldier.”

“Not much of a difference...”

“That doesn’t matter. You can’t just go off and do this alone. I think that you're outnumbered, and quite frankly, I think that you're out of practice.” Oliver states plainly.

“Out of practice am I?” Slade turns on him then.

“I could kick your arse up and down this place just like I used to do back on the island if I wanted to.”

“Really?” Oliver folds his arms.

“Don’t get cocky with me, kid. Are you forgetting that I taught you how to fight?”

“I put you down on Mirakuru twice.”

“I had been drugged both times!”

“This...” Oliver holds his hands up.

“This is getting us nowhere. I am not letting you do this alone.”

“Try and stop me.” Slade snarls.

“Goddammit, Slade. Even for you this is too reckless.”

“They have my son! They are torturing him as we speak. I never saw you holding back on the island, kid.” Slade retorts.

“I know, I know. I understand, you know that I understand this, but we have to be smart or we’ll all end up dead.”

“That’s not likely.” Slade hisses.

“Slade, please.” Oliver moves so he’s standing in front of Slade.

“Let’s just wait. We can plan this together and then we can go and get your son back, together. I promised you that I would help you get Joe back.” Oliver reminds him.

“This wasn’t part of the agreement, kid. I don’t want you involved in this. Think of what your son would want.”

“I hear you, I do, but I’m not letting you do this without me.” Oliver pauses for a moment, Slade’s words hitting him hard.

As always, the older man is right.

William would hate this.

He would want him to take a step back.

He wouldn’t want him to do this either.

Yet, this was supposed to be a simple mission.

He was supposed to retrieve Joe from the prison and put him on a plane.

This was never part of the plan at all.

“Look, remember our first mission on the island together. You didn’t think that you needed me at all, but when it came down to it, I was the one that worked out that that quote was from The Odyssey and I was the one who dragged you back to the plane after you got shot by Wintergreen.” Oliver reminds him.

“Your point?”

“My point is, is that you needed me back then and you need me now. We work well together, we always have. Please let me help you.” Oliver practically begs.

“I only have guns.”

“It’s not a bow and arrow, but I’m a decent shot either way. You made sure of that.” Oliver points out.

“I don’t like this.” He adds.

“Neither do I, but you helped me save William and I promised you that I would help you save Joe. I have to do this for you, Slade. It’s the least I can do after...”

“Don’t you dare start apologising to me again, kid.” Slade glowers at him.

“I wasn’t.” Oliver keeps his hands held up in mock surrender.

“Yes you were.”

“But...”

“Oliver!” Slade growls before clenching his hands into fists.

“I hate to admit it, but you are right. Barging in there right now wouldn’t be an intelligent move.”

“Thank you.” Oliver lowers his hands.

A near triumphant look in his eyes.

The feeling he gets when Slade actually admits that he’s right is a feeling like no other.

“And if you insist on coming with me, then we should do it as we were back on the island.” Slade continues.

“Wait until nightfall?” Oliver guesses.

“Yes. Which gives us plenty of time to discuss how we are going to do this together. How we are going to have each other’s backs out there. This needs to be quick, clean and foolproof.” Slade details.

“We just need to get in there and grab Joe.” Oliver nods.

“Which is exactly what we are going to be doing.” Slade glances down at his bag before zipping it up.

“So, other than discussing how we’re going to do this, what else do you want to do whilst we’re waiting?” Oliver chooses to ask.

“Exactly what we did on the island.”

“Really?” Oliver near enough chokes on his own spit.

“Sit around in silence contemplating the mission ahead.” Slade stares clearly, before raising an eyebrow.

“Why? What did you have planned?”

“Nothing. I just... When you said that. I thought...” Oliver takes a breath and closes his eyes for a fraction of a second.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Doesn’t it?” Slade approaches him slowly in an almost exaggerated manner.

“Yes... No, nope. We need to sit and think and just work out a plausible way of getting in there and getting Joe back so we don’t all get ourselves killed.” Oliver responds quickly.

“I like your thinking.” Slade starts to head back towards his maps and various other papers.

However, he doesn’t get very far before Oliver rests his hand on his shoulder.

“What?” 

“I... Do you want a hand with that. We were always good at looking at maps together.” Oliver wants to smack himself.

Get it together, Queen. You’re the mayor of your city, you’re a father and you were the goddam Green Arrow! There’s nothing you can’t handle, Oliver scolds himself.

“I’ll help.” Oliver heads quickly towards the table, which turns out to be the wrong table.

Something that Slade evidently notices, because the man immediately begins to chuckle.

“Let’s hope you haven’t lost your touch otherwise I’m not taking you on this mission.”

“I’m coming with you.” Oliver declares in a, hopefully something that sounds like his normal no-nonsense manner.

“I wouldn’t be too sure right now if you can’t even find the table I’ve put the maps on.” 

“I...” Oliver is consciously aware of Slade practically backing him into the wrong table now.

“I saw paper and took an educated guess?”

“You haven’t changed a bit, Oliver Queen.” Slade can’t help but remark as he gives the man in front of him a somewhat gruff look before heading towards the correct table.

“Neither have you... Well, you’re the man I knew before the Mirakuru.” Oliver corrects himself.

Slade mutters something inaudible as he walks away and Oliver finds himself following the other man quickly.

“Hey, Slade?” Oliver reaches for his hand.

“What, Oliver. We do have work to...” Slade is silenced by Oliver’s lips on his.

The kiss is brief and gentle and Oliver knows that he’s taken an awfully big risk.

A risk that could definitely get him punched, likely murdered.

Yet, it will all be worth it.

“Before you kill me.” Oliver starts when Slade breaks the kiss.

“I had to do that.” He admits slowly, barely able to look Slade in the eye.

“I had to do that again, at least once...” Slade surges forward, pushing Oliver back into the other table again and attacks his lips with his own.

Oliver doesn’t know what to do, or what to think.

He honestly hadn’t expected Slade to respond like this.

He’d been expecting a punch.

Not a retaliation of this nature.

Unsure of what to do with his hands, Oliver ends up resting them against Slade’s still incredibly muscular arms.

Letting Slade kiss him.

Oh, he’s missed this.

He has missed this so much.

He didn’t think that he’d remember what it felt like to kiss Slade Wilson after ten years, but he remembers now as if it were yesterday that they were stood together on the island.

In each other’s embrace.

Rolling around on the floor of the plane, doing something that definitely didn’t consist of Slade’s violent training.

He even smells like he did on the island.

Woodsy and decent liquor.

He really has missed this.

“So...” Oliver rests his forehead against Slade’s when Slade frees his now swollen lips.

“Are we... Are we on the same page?”

“Shut up, Oliver.” Slade growls before practically shoving the younger man onto the table...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was so, so bad & I am so sorry. I am absolutely destroying these great episodes. I will try & get it together before Joe appears, because I want to do him justice. I hated how the writers wrote him to be like that. I know that I’m a huge comic book nerd & that the adaptations are rarely like their comic book counterpart, but it’s like the writers picked up (1) Deathstroke & family comic & were like okay let’s not do this & just went crazy.
> 
> Anyways, ignore me. I haven’t slept in twenty four hours & I’m surviving purely on Sladiver stuff on tumblr. Thank you all so, so much for reading & all your wonderful support. Please do comment if you can.


	6. I Get To Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver & Slade spend the evening together.

I don’t own anything.

The gentle glow of the setting sun pours through the window and the flimsy mesh curtains.

Illuminating the room with a dim light.

Enough so that Oliver can quite clearly see the damage he and Slade have done to the place in the last few hours.

Tables are upturned, the beds have been pushed together and Oliver honestly believes that there’s a crack in the wall that Slade pushed him up against. 

It reminds him somewhat of the state the fuselage used to be in back on the island.

Yet, there are some extremely evident differences too.

They’re on an actual bed for starters.

“So.” Oliver starts slowly, bringing an end to the silence.

“This happened.”

Slade hums once from beside him but doesn’t say anything.

“I never thought we’d get to do this on an actual bed.” Oliver finds himself remarking.

“This.” Slade retorts then.

“Was a bad idea and you know it.”

“No it wasn’t.”

“It will only...”

“Shh.” Oliver cuts Slade off, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

“This was nice.”

Slade glances at Oliver then, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Okay, yes. This probably was a bad idea and it shouldn’t have happened, but honestly? I’m glad it did.” Oliver raises a hand, caressing Slade’s face for a few seconds before Slade inevitably pushes him away.

“I didn’t think that we’d ever recover from what happened.”

“Kid, if you think that either of us have even remotely recovered from what happened then...”

“That’s not what I meant.” Oliver sighs.

“What did you mean then...” Slade catches Oliver’s hand in the split second after Oliver’s fingers were dangerously near the eyepatch.

“No.” Slade gives him a piercing look, before rolling onto his side, away from Oliver.

“How bad is it?” Oliver queries in a soft voice.

“Well, it’s scarred over now, but it still looks a damn mess, kid.”

“I’m sorry.” Oliver winces, moving closer to Slade.

“It’s not...”

“It is quite literally my fault, please don’t say that it isn’t.” Oliver cuts him off.

“You did what you had to do. I’d have done the same.”

“Would you?”

“Without hesitation, you know me.”

“I do know you and I also know that you’re not as cold as you pretend to be. You ran into fire for me. You were safe and I did the exact opposite of what you told me to do, so you could’ve just let me get myself killed, but you didn’t.” Oliver rests his hand on Slade’s arm.

“That was a spur of the moment decision that I will never regret doing.” Slade admits and Oliver smiles.

“What?”

“You just proved my point.” 

“My main priority was always getting us home.” Slade reminds him with an almost absentminded look on his face.

“I mean, we did eventually.” Oliver notes, watching as Slade adjusts the eyepatch.

“Seriously, Slade you can take it off when you’re with me.” He states.

“I can handle it. It can’t be much worse than when I pulled that bullet out of your arm.” Oliver strokes his fingers over Slade’s arm.

“I wouldn’t be so certain. Joe caught a glimpse of it once and was horrified and he and I are very much alike.” Slade points out.

“He’s your son, of course he would be a little freaked out. William would probably be the same if he ever saw any of my scars from the island.” Oliver retorts.

“Some of which I am responsible for.”

“I mean yes, your training techniques were... Out there.” Oliver struggles to find the words to replace outright brutal.

“I didn’t mean those.” Slade chuckles, before turning around to face Oliver, his large hand coming to rest on Oliver’s scarred shoulder where an exact recreation of Shado’s tattoo had once been when his Mirakuru addled self had had it etched in like a brand.

“I had it removed a couple of years ago.” Oliver yawns a little.

“Didn’t need it anymore.”

“You never deserved it in the first place.”

A moment of silence passes by before Oliver leans down and kisses Slade’s cheek.

“It’s in the past now, you weren’t the person you used to be. The person I know you are now.” He reminds him.

“You know, Oliver. One of the reasons I told you that it all felt like a bad dream was because I was unable to comprehend that I could have harmed you. I never...”

“I know.” Oliver murmurs.

“You’ll never know how sorry I am for what I did.” Slade speaks quietly.

“Or how much you still mean to me.”

“Well, you know I feel the same way.” Oliver smiles somewhat, resting his head on Slade’s shoulder.

“You sure you don’t want to take it off?” He gestures somewhat to the eyepatch.

“I don’t want you to see it, kid.” 

“I just said...”

“I know what you said and I still have no desire for you to see something I know you feel unnecessarily guilty for.” Slade mutters.

Oliver doesn’t argue then and remains silent for a few moments, before bringing up something that he’d noticed.

“What happened?” Oliver rests the tips of his fingers on Slade’s back, trailing them over the thick scars that reside there.

“I thought the Mirakuru...” Slade cuts him off, rolling over again, but this time so that they’re facing each other, which Oliver is grateful for.

“The Mirakuru wasn’t a part of me then.” Slade informs him.

“I thought it had healed most of your scars from your previous work and what had happened to us on the island. I remember...”

“Didn’t happen then, kid.” Slade replies.

“Slade, you’ve only been out for six months, these look too old, they...” Oliver falls silent, worries that he hasn’t had for a long time coming straight back up to the surface.

“This happened to you when you were under ARGUS’s care.” Oliver states through gritted teeth.

“Oliver...”

“What did they do to you? Slade, I swear to god...”

“Don’t worry about it now.” Slade attempts to quell Oliver’s evident anger at the revelation.

“No, Slade. I thought... I knew... This, this is wrong.”

“It was just. They were not to know that the Mirakuru would ever fully leave my mind and I terrorised a city. I murdered so many, they were within their rights to do what they did on the island.” Slade looks up at the ceiling.

“You’re wrong, they shouldn’t have hurt you just because you were a prisoner. I wish that there was something I could have done to make things easier, but...”

“You didn’t know that I would recover either.”

“No, I didn’t, but I should’ve been more vigilant with ARGUS. They... All I’m saying is that I wish I could say that I’m surprised.” Oliver mutters.

“After what happened between us on the freighter, ARGUS took me to Hong Kong, I was off the island but they made me work for them and I ended up... I ended up doing some awful things and eventually, I got put back on the island again.” Oliver explains, which is when he remembers something.

“What is it?” Slade frowns at him when he falls into an uneasy silence.

“ARGUS were behind it. Fyers... Everything we had to deal with on the first year. He was answering to Amanda Waller.” Oliver tells him and Slade nods, his thoughts returning to those of Wintergreen.

“Now, I’m glad that’s in the past.” Slade eyes Oliver for a few moments.

“Yep.” Oliver nods, shifting closer to Slade, who puts an arm around him.

“I’m glad this isn’t though.” Oliver admits.

“I still remember when we started doing this.”

“As do I.” Slade responds quietly.

“You were really grateful about me fixing that radio.” Oliver chuckles.

“We were doing this before the radio was fixed.” 

“Oh, believe me, I remember. I mean, I did save your life by getting those plants to you in time.” Oliver reminds him.

“What are we going to do about this, kid?” Slade glances to him.

“I don’t know.” Oliver shrugs.

“Take it one step at a time?”

“You’re the mayor of your city, you are also under investigation by the FBI for something which you were guilty of being. I doubt being seen with the man who nearly destroyed said city and the man who murdered your mother will do you any favours.” Slade reminds him.

“We can... We’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it, but we can do this discreetly. You could get a place outside of Star City and I could come and visit you discreetly. I might not be the Green Arrow anymore, but I know how to come and go without being caught.” Oliver points out.

“Kid, you were caught unmasked on a rooftop.” 

“This is different and I...” Oliver moves closer to Slade.

“I don’t want to lose this. I don’t want to lose you again when we’ve finally got this back.” 

“I just want to keep you safe, kid and I have. I still have enemies.”

“Which I can help you defeat.” Oliver finishes.

“This is a one time thing because you wanted to help my son, you said it yourself. You’re not the Green Arrow anymore.”

“No I’m not, but I can talk to my team...”

“Your team who want me imprisoned?”

“Felicity doesn’t. I think she’s starting to understand the situation now that I’ve actually talked about it with her. I can do the same with the others. I’m not saying it will be easy, but maybe, over time they’ll understand...”

“Your sister won’t.” Slade silences Oliver.

“Thea... Okay, yes. When Thea wakes up, we’re going to have to talk about this, but again, I didn’t tell her the truth and in time maybe she’ll understand. All of this, it’s going to take time, but I don’t want to lose what we have again.” Oliver looks up at Slade with a gentle look in his eyes.

“We don’t have to talk about this now.” Slade tells him in a softer tone of voice.

“I just wanted to know what you were thinking.”

Slade shifts a little and presses a kiss to to the top of Oliver’s head.

“I’m glad you’re here. I... I do. Having you around...”

“I know, I feel the same.” Oliver finishes his sentence.

“Don’t know what I’d do without you, kid.”

“Likewise, Slade.” Oliver moves closer so that they can kiss.

“You’re the only one that understands.”

“You’re too good to me, Oliver.” Slade mutters against his lips.

“I care about you.”

Slade kisses him again and Oliver rests his head on his chest as his eyes start to feel heavy again.

“How long we got?” Oliver yawns somewhat.

“Get some sleep.” Slade murmurs.

“I’ll wake you up in a few hours.”

“I’m glad you’re here.” Oliver closes his eyes, comforted by Slade’s arm around him and his warmth.

“It’s easier to get some actual sleep.”

Slade kisses his head again, muttering a gentle endearment in another language as Oliver falls into a restful sleep.

Feeling safe now that he’s wrapped up securely in Slade’s embrace.

Slade doesn’t sleep.

He refuses to.

It’s the only way he can do this, no matter how much it hurts him to know that he’s betraying Oliver.

Again.

Which is why, whilst also taking some time to think about his strategy, he spends the hours watching over Oliver, who is sleeping peacefully against him.

Cherishing the time he gets to spend with him.

These last few hours have been the most at peace he’s felt in nearly ten years.

Despite everything that has happened between them, everything feels right.

Slade is aware that they shouldn’t have done this because it will only make things harder when he has to leave and not return.

He just can’t be in Oliver’s life.

No matter how much he wants to be, he has to let him go so that he can live his life and not have to be burdened by the enemies that Slade knows will eventually catch up to him.

After everything he did to Oliver, letting him go is a kindness that he is aware that Oliver might not understand straight away, but will come to one day.

He has to keep Oliver safe because he loves him and would do anything for him.

Which is why he can’t let Oliver walk through the fire for him and has to do this alone.

It would be unrealistic to expect that Oliver wouldn’t wake up when he moved.

They’ve both been hardwired to basically sleep with one eye open at all times.

Oliver shifts the second Slade makes a move to get up and leave.

“Slade?” Oliver speaks through a yawn, not even opening his eyes.

“What time is it?” His hand finds Slade’s.

“It’s only been half an hour, kid.”

It’s been six hours and it’s time to leave.

“Okay.” Oliver hums once and Slade stands by the bed until Oliver has fallen asleep again.

Which is when Slade gathers some of his clothes and heads into the other room.

He’ll get ready in the car he stole.

Standing by the table which is where his bag is, Slade writes a brief note for Oliver.

Summarising the situation as briefly as he can.

Leaving the note on the table, Slade heads for the door.

Taking one last look at Oliver before walking away.

He works better alone.

It’s what he does best after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry that it’s taken me so long to update. I haven’t been in the right frame of mind, but I am so committed to getting this done. Thank you so much for reading & all your kind words. Please do comment if you can & tell me all your thoughts.


	7. I Don’t Want To Know Who We Are Without Each Other

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver wakes up alone & Deathstroke strikes.

I don’t own anything.

“Slade?” Oliver murmurs through a yawn as he slowly starts to wake up.

Surely it must be time for them to leave.

The skies are dark and it feels as if he’s been sleeping for hours.

He’d slept well for the first time in what has to be years.

Everything felt right; he was safe and with someone he has a profound bond with.

It was easy to sleep in Slade’s arms and incredibly relaxing for him.

For them both, he hopes.

He hasn’t felt safe like that in a very long time and it was nice to be able to experience that feeling again.

“Hey...” Oliver turns his head, expecting Slade to be beside him.

It isn’t unusual for them to separate when they’re asleep.

They’re both prone to moving around a lot and whilst Oliver hadn’t expected to wake up, resting against Slade’s chest, as he had been, he was expecting Slade to actually be beside him, which he isn’t.

Slade is gone.

“Slade?” Oliver scans the room.

Even though it is bathed in darkness, he should still be able to tell if Slade’s in the room or not.

“Slade.” Oliver gets to his feet, approaching the bathroom first, which is open and empty.

“Slade?” Oliver turns around to head into the other section of their room.

For the love of...

He’s gone.

He left him.

Of course he did, of course he left him behind! Oliver buries his head in his hands for a mere moment.

Now, he’s always known Slade Wilson to be desperately stubborn and slightly unhinged even before he even knew of the existence of Mirakuru, but after everything.

After everything they’ve been though, Oliver just can’t believe that he would just leave him behind like this without a word.

Especially after they were finally able to open up to one another again.

He should’ve know.

He should have known that it was too good to be true.

Did Slade agree to sleep with him again because he was actually trying to find a way to say goodbye?

Oliver wouldn’t put that past him.

He wants to understand this and in a way, he thinks he does.

Joe is his son.

His son, who Oliver knows Slade loves more than anything and who is also in some very real danger right now.

When it was William, when Adrian Chase took William from him, Oliver would’ve done anything.

He would’ve done whatever it took to get his boy back and he doesn’t blame Slade for wanting to do the exact same thing he did.

It makes perfect sense, it really does and Oliver can both understand and forgive Slade for wanting to do whatever it takes to save his son.

However, what he can’t wrap his head around is why Slade would abandon him here like this.

When William and the rest of his friends and family were gone and held captive on Lian Yu, he reached out.

He assembled a whole team of people that included Slade, who he knew could help him recover his loved ones.

He trusted Slade to help him and he did, he came through and somehow, he thought that they’d managed to salvage what they once had.

Why couldn’t Slade trust him to help?

It was Slade who came to him in the first place.

Yes, it was because he needed diplomacy that probably only Oliver could provide him.

He also promised to keep Oliver away from any possible violence, but then the circumstances changed and even though he made William a promise to never be the Green Arrow again, Oliver would’ve gone with Slade and would’ve done whatever he had to, to save Slade’s son.

There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for Slade and after everything they’ve been though, Oliver thought that Slade knew that.

Well, he was almost sure.

He knows that Slade blames himself for so many things and it couldn’t be more apparent to Oliver that Slade thinks that he shouldn’t even be associating with him, let alone helping him as he has been doing.

How could Slade do this?

He’s beyond outnumbered and even though he’s the best fighter Oliver knows and took on several members of the League Of Assassins and won despite being confined to a cell and apparently tortured on and off for the last three years, Oliver is genuinely concerned that he’s out of practice.

This is wrong, he should be there with him right now.

Heading towards the upturned tables, Oliver searches for any pieces of weaponry that Slade may have left behind.

He’s going after him, there was never any doubt about that.

He won’t let Slade do this alone and he hopes to god that he can grab something and get himself there before something unthinkably tragic can occur.

This isn’t happening.

He’s not about to lose Slade again mere hours after they’ve rekindled what they once had.

Something Oliver was keen on pursuing further and if he’s being honest, still is.

He can’t lose Slade, not again.

If anything happened to him...

Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Oliver tries not to think of the worst possible case scenario.

He doesn’t know what he’d do if anything happened to Slade now.

Continuing to search for a weapon of some kind, Oliver freezes when a piece of paper that isn’t amongst those he and Slade had carelessly pushed aside in an attempt to be as close to one another as possible, catches his eye.

Due to the near abysmal handwriting he sees etched upon the paper, Oliver is quick to identify it as a note that Slade must have written for him.

Picking it up from where it is propped up by a shot glass in one quick swipe, Oliver tries to decipher Slade’s scratchy handwriting.

‘I am sorry that it had to be this way, but you need to go home, kid. Go and be a father. Thank you for reminding me that I am one too. Don’t look for me, I won’t reach out to you again. You deserve more, kid, more than I could ever give you. You always have. Kei te aroha au ki a koe, Oliver x’

Folding the note, Oliver puts it down before his hands become clenched fists.

“If you don’t want me to look for you, don’t leave me a note telling me that you love me.” Oliver mutters to no one in particular, before heading to grab his clothes and to find fresh, more suitable ones for a mission.

It’s only when he grabs his pants that he realises that his phone is vibrating softly.

For a split second, he hopes it’s Slade.

Calling him to tell him to meet him outside or something.

Or that he needs his help.

In no way is he disappointed when he realises that it’s William calling, but it would’ve been an immediate stress reliever if it had been Slade.

“Hey, buddy.” Oliver tries to sound as cheerful as humanly possible when the clap connects.

“I just wanted to check in. Is this a bad time?” William enquires in a near unsure voice.

“No, it’s never a bad time.” Oliver is quick to assure him.

“Are you coming home?” William enquires.

“Soon, hopefully. I just gotta do one last thing, then I should be back.” Oliver doesn’t really know what to say, as he isn’t exactly sure how to tell William what he’s planning to do right now.

“Good. I wish you were here already. Raisa's been making me eat granola!” William whines to Oliver’s amusement.

Remembering full well the days in which Raisa would try to force feed him Granola as a boy of William’s age.

“Raisa knows her stuff. Granola's good for you.” 

“Were you able to help your ex? I mean, your friend?” William queries and Oliver can’t help but role his eyes at his son’s tone of voice.

“I’m actually on my way to help him now.” Oliver decides to be as honest as possible.

“Are you bringing him home with you?”

“Um...” Oliver isn’t sure how to answer that question.

That will be something he’ll have to argue with Slade about later, if the man is still alive.

He would like Slade to be in Star City with him, even though he knows that his presence would cause friction and quite possibly an all out war with ARGUS if they were to ever find out.

It also wouldn’t help with the current FBI situation they’ve found themselves caught up in.

However, Slade can be inconspicuous.

If he doesn’t want to be found, he won’t be.

Maybe, if there’s a chance that they can get through this and have an honest to god conversation about what they both want, possibly...

“Dad?” William’s voice interrupts his chain of thoughts.

“We’re not relocating to Australia are we?”

“No, no! Of course not. Sorry, I just got a little bit distracted there.” Oliver sighs.

“Anyway, I really hope he finds his son.”

“Yeah. I do, too. I’m looking forward to meeting him.” Oliver replies, squeezing the phone a little tighter.

“Well, alright William, I gotta go.” He pauses for a second.

“I need to help him out before he does something stupid.”

“Who's in charge?” Deathstroke snarls mere moments after his sword has torn straight through a man.

Not even stopping to receive an answer before firing a round of bullets into another man, pushing the body down a corridor and shooting another assailant stood in the corner.

Rounding the corner, Deathstroke slices through a fourth man before launching himself at another that attempts to fire bullets that merely scratch his kevlar armour.

Spinning the man around, Deathstroke shoots him down before cutting into the leg of a fifth assailant, finishing him off with a round of bullets that send the man flying into the nearest wall.

The sixth man to approach him, receives a very quick sword to the chest after he ducks down to avoid what would’ve been a more damaging shot.

He kicks the very man to the wall and jams his gun into the side of the assailants head several times, whilst two more men appear, both firing their weapons at Deathstroke, who merely deflects the bullets expertly with his sword.

They starting running then, trying desperately to find something more powerful to arm themselves with, but Deathstroke is hardly fazed as he strolls up to them.

Casually firing at a guy who was coming out of another room before disarming the first man brave enough to pull a weapon on him and dragging him to the floor before shooting another man down.

Slicing into the stomach of the next person to approach him, Deathstroke fires upon another whilst holding the same man in a chokehold position.

Dropping the corpse and advancing forward, he is quick to kick another assailant that he had shot backwards with his foot.

Pretty much impaling the next guy, who thought he’d try his hand at trying to take him down by firing bullets at him that merely dent the kevlar.

Deathstroke shoots that one in the side for extra measure, before advancing towards the next would be attacker, who he also impales on his sword which allows him to enter the next room.

Sending the body through the double doors, he shoots him and kicks him straight into a set of shelves that come tumbling down before focusing on the next attacker.

He stabs this one, not once but twice and immediately whips around to slice the throat of the next man, knocking that one into the broken shelves before whirling around and slicing through the ankle of a would be attacker stood on a table.

When attacked by a man that beats at his armour even when he receives a sword to the chest, Deathstroke tears his weapon free before cutting into the very same man again.

Walking away from his trail of bodies, Slade removes his mask as the room begins to fill with more heavily armed members of the Jackal’s. 

He should be able to dispose of these in a similar manner...

“Stop it! Stop!” An all too familiar voice fills his ears from behind.

His contact, Nylander.

He should’ve known...

Maybe a part of him did, as he’s not that surprised to hear the man’s voice. 

“Damn it, Slade. You're going to ruin my new shoes.” The man steps over the pools of fresh blood that Slade has left in his wake.

His trail of destruction.

“And I just bought them, brother.”

“Nylander.” Slade snarls.

“This man is a legend.” Nylander gestures to him as he approaches the armed circle of men.

“So no pulling triggers... Yet. Truce?” He grabs the very hilt of Slade’s sword.

“Let me explain?”

He lets the sword go without a fight.

There are other ways to kill a man and a group of others without getting himself killed.

Nylander pats his shoulders before giving him a firm shove in the other direction.

“I knew you'd been involved, Nylander, but you're too stupid to run this organization.  
So where's your boss?” Slade request as he walks slowly towards the nearest bench, sitting himself down.

Which isn’t exactly easy to do in a suit like the one he wears.

“You know, I had really hoped prison  
would be your dead end, but no.” Nylander approaches him.

“You just had to keep on coming, didn't you? We've got a great thing going here, Slade, lots of killing, lots of money,  
and your son, what he knows... Priceless.”

“You like burning Bridges.” Slade hisses, trying to remain as moderately calm as possible.

He needs to see Joe.

There must be an exchange of some kind.

However, if he doesn’t play his cards right here and now then there is a possibility that he will lose his son to these degenerates forever.

“So says the man who nearly burnt down a whole city.” Slade’s patience snaps then at the man’s chuckle and he reaches for a discarded gun.

Only to be shot through the hand at the very same time that the gun is forced from his reach.

“You're smarter than that.” Nylander remarks as Slade clenches his now searingly painful hand into a fist, holding back any and all sounds of pain he feels like unleashing as he slowly begins to rise to his feet.

The gunshot wound in his hand is rather excruciating, but it’s nothing he can’t handle.

Nothing compared to dragging an arrow out of his own eye left there by his lover.

“Where... is my son?” He hisses once on his feet.

“Why do you ask, hmm?” Nylander approaches him again, an irritatingly smug look on his face.

“Do you wish to join him?”

“I wish to see him.”

“I am willing to make an offer to the Jackal’s if you take me to see him.” Slade states plainly.

“An offer hmm?” Nylander gives him a look.

“Where is he?!” Slade growls.

“All in good time, Slade. All in good...”

“This suit was built to be near bulletproof. It was then enhanced by me. How much damage do you think you could do before I am able to finish what I started?” Slade hisses.

“Should we see?”

“Have it your way if that’s what you wish.” Slade merely shrugs.

Calling their bluff in the most menacing way.

If he were to avoid headshots, he probably could take these men out if he tried without sustaining too much damage.

“Fine. Fine! You get a look, one look, Slade and it’s only because we have a soft spot for the Deathstroke.” Nylander speaks in taunting tones before yelling out an instruction and clapping his hands.

Another set of doors open then and another two members of the Jackal’s appear, dragging something with them.

Someone...

“I do want you to know, that I could be overstepping a boundary here, Slade. The boss wanted to present him to you when we put you in front of our boss, but if you’re going to be difficult, then you may get a glimpse.” Nylander continues as the near broken form of a man is practically dropped to the ground.

Held up only by the two Jackal members, Slade freezes in place as the figure starts to move around.

There is streams of blood welling up and dripping off from deep slices that decorate the man’s muscular arms.

Blood stains a once grey shirt from various wounds that are both visible and oozing blood and that are hidden by the fabric of the shirt.

Lifting his head up, revealing a split lip, an array of cuts and bruises, a bleeding head wound and one eye that is completely swollen shut, Joe Wilson can only gasp.

“Father?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that this isn’t one of my better chapters. I will try to improve them for next time, but I wrote this when I was half asleep but filled with some motivation to get this chapter done. Thank you all so much for reading & for all your kind comments. I need sleep. Thank you again for reading & please do comment if you can & tell me all your thoughts.


End file.
